Greek
Stoic thinker Epictetus(50-138) believed humans are disturbed by the
irrational and attracted to the rational. With a calm psyche the
endless possibilities of the ratio become visible.
A
layman in the art of life is discontented with what he has and spends
his time on bodily matters such as drinking, overeating and sexual
actions. A good man tolerates everything with bravery, makes the
best of his life.
The
aim in life is to desire nothing but self control, freedom and
contentment.
Epictetus
divided reality in two crucial categories: what is in and what is
beyond our power. The only good is the accurate insight in what we
can and can not control. Good and evil are only present in our
opinions about events, not in the events themselves.
All
unpleasant impressions should be analyzed on accuracy. Fear and
confusion are caused by our negative opinions on what is beyond our
power. Once an individual realizes that things are beyond his power,
they can not affect him anymore.
Each
individual is responsible for his sadness or negative emotions. This
means we can influence and control our own mind. When we engage in
avoiding negative reactions which equal negative emotions, we are
able to positively want each and every event. We can always be free,
righteous, reliable, honest and thoughtful.
Each
striving(orexis: everyone strives for the good) is fixed on the good
while avoidance(ekkisis: avoidance of the bad) focuses on the bad.
Success in striving and avoidance leads to happiness. Apatheia, a
necessity to live a serene life, occurs when the well balanced,
developed mind bans negative emotions and is successful in striving.
There's
one way to happiness: to stop worrying about matters beyond our will.
The essence of a happy life is to want things as they are instead of
what you would like them to be. A wise man wants to accept. The
elimination of desire results in freedom of the mind. The
renunciation of what is not within one's moral choice leads to
imperturbability.
"
All human beings seek the happy life, but many confuse the means with
that life itself. Wisdom is revealed through action, not talk".
