Blog Posts

April 15, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

Let Things Unfold As They Do (Epictetus’ Discourses In Plain English 1.12)

There are many views about God. We believe that God exists and cares about what happens to everyone. You are free if everything that happens to you happens according to your choice and not contrary to it.

April 12, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

Know Your Opinions Drive Your Behavior (Epictetus’ Discourses In Plain English I.11)

Not knowing right from wrong, what is natural from what is not, is a great shortcoming. We cannot assume that behaviour adopted by most people is necessarily in accordance with nature.

April 8, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

Be Diligent In Your Pursuit (Epictetus’ Discourses in Plain English 1.10)

We don’t pursue our goals as diligently as people after power pursue theirs, even though our goals are highly worth pursuing.

April 5, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

Behave Like You Are Related To God (Epictetus’ Discourses in Plain English 1.9)

Because we are children of god, we should stop identifying with a small place, and think of ourselves as a citizen of the universe.

April 1, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

Distinguish the important from the incidental (Epictetus’ Discourses in Plain English 1.8)

Training in logic helps us spot incorrect and incomplete arguments, so we are not misled. Therefore, we need to train ourselves in logic.

March 29, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

Deal with arguments the logical way (Epictetus’ Discourses in Plain English 1.7)

We can easily be deceived by arguments involving questions and Arguments have a bearing on the way we should behave

March 25, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

Don’t complain; you have no reason to (Epictetus’ Discourses in Plain English 1.6)

The universe is well organized and everything is well co-ordinated. From this we can infer there must be a creator who created all this.

March 22, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

Beware of rigid thinking (Epictetus’ Discourses in Plain English 1.5)

Discourses is a collection of Epictetus’ conversations with his students and visitors, as recorded by his student Flavius Arrian. Discourses forms an excellent introduction to Stoicism and, in this series, The Stoic Gym presents Epictetus’ Discourses in plain English.

March 19, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

How to know that you are making progress (Epictetus’ Discourses in Plain English 1.4)

Discourses is a collection of Epictetus’ conversations with his students and visitors, as recorded by his student Flavius Arrian. Discourses forms an excellent introduction to Stoicism and, in this series, The Stoic Gym presents Epictetus’ Discourses in plain English.

March 18, 2017 - Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Tag(s): Book Excerpts ||

Don’t become a treacherous animal (Epictetus Discourses in Plain English 1.3)

Discourses is a collection of Epictetus’ conversations with his students and visitors, as recorded by his student Flavius Arrian. Discourses forms an excellent introduction to Stoicism and, in this series, The Stoic Gym presents Epictetus’ Discourses in plain English.