Great Epictetus Quote

A friend of long standing shared this quote, which she sweetly assumed I already knew, since I am a quote hound. It was news to me, and I am happy to share it:

“People are not bothered by events, but by the views they take of events.”

To which she added his original (and very important and useful) coda:

"It is the action of an uninstructed person to reproach others for his own misfortunes; of one entering upon instruction, to reproach himself; and of one perfectly instructed, to reproach neither others or himself.”

Epictetus was a Greek stoic philosopher born shortly after Jesus’s death; his works were beloved by early Christians.

Or, as Arianna Huffington put it, “We have little power to choose what happens, but we have complete power over how we respond.”

Comments

[Robert E Malchman]

And now, with an opposing point of view: I agree that we control our reactions to things, but the idea of not reproaching others for their vileness is patently absurd. Indeed, anyone "well instructed" must not fail to reproach racists, bigots, fascists, sex harassers and assaulters, extortionists, embezzlers, fraudsters and homicidal maniacs like Trump, his enablers and his supporters. They are disgusting examples of humanity, and the more of them who die or are permanently disabled and living in agony from their participation in Covid-19 superspreader events, the better.

Or in other words, there is no freude like schadenfreude, particularly when delivered karmicly.