With Epictetus we balance careful attentiveness to external matters - as if our handling of those matters reflected the depth of our virtue - with a counterbalancing detachment from everything that is not related to personal virtue, and within my direct control.
Epictetus, Discourses, Book II, 17:
'I want to be free from fear and emotion, but at the same time I want to be a concerned citizen and philosopher, and attentive to my other duties, toward God, my parents, my siblings, my country and my guests.'
No comments:
Post a Comment