Exploring Encheiridion 10 – Episode 41

In all circumstances keep in mind to turn in to yourself and ask what resources you have for dealing with these things. If you see a good-looking man or woman, you will find self-control the appropriate power; if pain afflicts you, you will find endurance; if rudeness, you will find patience. By developing these habits, you will not be carried away by your first impressions. (Ench 10)

While this passage deals directly with the discipline of assent, it also entails the disciplines of desire and action. When we pull this passage apart, we get a glimpse into how quickly assents to impressions can create desires and aversions and lead to impulses to act. The primary point of this lesson from Epictetus is to show us we possess the resources necessary to stop the quick progression from assent to impulse to act. Epictetus highlights three impressions in this passage and provides specific resources we can use to deal with each. Here’s the process as it applies in each of these three examples:

In Step 1, an impression presses itself upon our mind. All of the impressions listed in this passage arise from sources external to our mind.
1. I just saw a good-looking man or woman
2. I feel a pain in my body, or I’m facing some other hardship.
3. I just encountered a rude person.
In Step 2, we immediately attach a value judgment to that impression:
1. That good-looking man or woman is something “good” for me.
2. That pain in my body is something “bad” for me.
3. That person’s rude behavior is “bad” for me.
In Step 3, that judgment creates a desire or aversion and a subsequent impulse to act.
1. I desire that good-looking man or woman; I’m going to reach out to them.
2. I fear this pain in my body or this hardship; I’m going to avoid it.
3. That rude person offended me; I’m going make them stop, or I’m going to retaliate.

If we were sages, we wouldn’t get past Step 1 because we would not place the value judgment on the impression. However, we are not sages, and neither were Epictetus’ students. That is why he is informing us we possess powers or resources we can use to interrupt this sequence after we’ve assented to the value judgment and before the impulse to act leads us into bad behavior.

Before I tackle each of these examples, I want to make one point clear. Epictetus’ goal for this lesson is to help us develop habits that prevent us from being carried away by impressions into a state of emotional distress (pathos). The goal is not to turn us into Dr. Spoke-like, emotionless, disconnected observers of events. Epictetus is not telling us we should not find a good-looking man or woman attractive. He is not telling us to ignore the pain in our bodies or the effects of hardships. He is not telling us to be oblivious to rude behavior. Instead, Epictetus teaches us we have resources within ourselves to judge these impressions correctly and respond appropriately.

This lesson is important because we frequently allow the initial judgment of an impression to carry us away and cause us to spiral out of control emotionally. Too often, this leads to an entirely inappropriate response. With that in mind, let’s look at each of the impressions Epictetus uses in this lesson and how we can use the resources we have to deal with them.

The good-looking man or woman

Let’s start with the impression of a good-looking man or woman. Observing and appreciating beauty is natural. There is nothing wrong with observing a man or woman and assenting to the judgment they are good-looking. Nature created us to appreciate beauty. The problem starts when we allow that first impression and initial judgment of beauty to carry us away with desire. We are mistaken if we assent to the impression that having that good-looking man or woman as a life companion or sexual partner is “good” and will bring us well-being (happiness). Their presence in our life could be a preferred indifferent at best. Alternatively, as many of us have experienced, it may lead to some real dispreferred indifferents we did not foresee when this good-looking man or woman initially captured our attention.

Epictetus tells us we possess the power of temperance or moderation as a resource to deal with this impression before it becomes an impulse to act. But, how and when do we use this resource? We likely already attached the value judgment of “good” to the impression of a good-looking man or woman, and a desire may be starting to take control. If we let it take control, we may begin to fantasize about that good-looking person mentally. Then, we may be overcome by an impulse to act, which can lead to immoral behavior. In Encheiridion 10, Epictetus is referring to scenarios where the impulse to act would be immoral. We can think of numerous scenarios where assent to a person’s good looks might lead one to seek their company as a preferred indifferent without it being an immoral act. That is not the lesson Epictetus is presenting here. The Stoics did not advocate celibacy; however, they did teach moderation in all things.

So how do we apply the power of temperance or moderation to this scenario? We must begin with the practice I taught in Episode 9. When the impression of a good-looking man or woman is presented to our mind, we need to “Stop it,” “Strip it” bare, and “See it” from the cosmic viewpoint. Refer to Episode 9 if you are unclear about this three-step practice to deal with impressions. The good news is this: as long as we engage in this process before we act upon the impulse, we can circumvent the bad action. In other words, we may have already assented to the idea this good-looking person is “good” for us, and we may already be driven by desire and feel the impulse to act. As long as we say STOP to ourselves before we act, it’s not too late. If we can “Stop it” before we act, we have time to “Strip it” bare. In case anyone is confused at this point, “Strip it bare” applies to the impression, not the good-looking man or woman. Please don’t strip them bare. That is not part of this Stoic practice, and it will likely get you into some serious trouble.

So, we tell ourselves to “Stop it.” This is where the teacher within us from Episode 36 steps in to guide the child within us. When we “Stop it,” we create a gap that allows us enough time to consider this impression for what it is. That gap gives us time to “Strip” the impression bare. It gives us time to realize this good-looking man or woman is a potential preferred indifferent rather than something that is “good” and can affect our well-being. Finally, we “See it” from the cosmic perspective. How did this good-looking man or woman come into my awareness? Are they a stranger passing by on the street? Or, did you meet them under circumstances that might cause you to give more consideration to them as a preferred indifferent in your life? Sometimes, a confluence of events creates synchronicities that deserve our consideration. This is where we can apply the power of temperance and moderation. After we “Stop it” and “Strip it,”we can use the power of temperance and moderation as we See this impression from the cosmic perspective. We can ask ourselves:

Is this desire for this good-looking person consistent with our values and goal of living in agreement with Nature?
What might happen, good or bad, if I follow this impulse to act?
Are my thoughts and behaviors moderated by a desire to act appropriately?

Ultimately, the goal of Stoic practice is to move the “Stop it” step farther back in the chain of events. At first, we may only be able to “Stop it” at the impulse to act stage; before we act. Then, with practice, we can move the “Stop it” step back to where we first feel the desire or aversion taking hold of our psyche with practice and habituation. Finally, we can move it back further and learn to say “Stop it” to ourselves as soon as we recognize we have attached a value judgment to the impression.

Pain or labor

Like beauty, pain in our body serves a purpose. It’s a warning sign that something may be wrong. We would be foolish to ignore it completely. Unfortunately, we frequently allow pain to control our lives even when it’s minor; we don’t like pain and will do almost anything we can to avoid it altogether. I note that some translations use the word labor or hardship instead of pain in this passage. So, the problem starts when we allow the initial judgment of pain or hardship as “bad” to carry us away with aversion. We are mistaken if we assent to the impression that pain or hardship is “bad” for us and will detract from our well-being in any way.

Epictetus tells us we possess the power of endurance as a resource to deal with pain or labor. But, how and when do we use this resource? The same way we did with the good-looking man or woman. We say “Stop it” to ourselves. “Stop it;”it’s just pain. “Stop it;” it’s just a hardship. It’s doubtful this is going to kill me. Then we “Strip it.” We recognize that pain is a signal, and we diagnose the urgency of the signal. It may be urgent enough that we need immediate medical attention. If that’s the case, we can still proceed calmly. A little premeditatio malorum may be helpful. What is the worst that can happen; I may die. If I am going to die, I can choose to die nobly and keep my good character intact. On the other hand, if this is just a minor pain or impediment to my body, I already learned how to deal with that in Encheiridion 9. Now, that we move to the “See it” from the cosmic perspective. We can ask ourselves:

Is this pain or hardship really that bad?
Can I endure this pain or hardship and be a stronger person as a result?

Pain and hardship are not bad for our moral character. The Stoics argue that hardships actually help develop our character. Absent trials, struggles, and tests, how can we develop our moral character? In Discourses 1.6, Epictetus uses the mythological figure of Hercules to make this point. He asks, what kind of man Hercules would be if not for the lion, hydra, stag, boar, and wicked men he had to battle and overcome? In other words, the character of Hercules was formed by the challenges he faced. Later in the same lesson, Epictetus provokes his students with the following challenge:

So come on, then, now that you recognize these things, and consider the faculties that you possess, and after having done so, say, ‘Bring on me now, Zeus, whatever trouble you may wish, since I have the equipment that you granted to me and such resources as will enable me to distinguish myself through whatever may happen.’ (Discourses 1.6.37)

Christopher Gill, in a note on this passage, wrote:

…the human capacity to endure misfortune is presented as one of the distinctively human capacities provided by a divinely shaped universe…^[1]

We can endure misfortune by using the human resource of endurance or forbearance. Pain, hard work, and labor are not bad, and they cannot harm our moral character. However, they can be used to develop our character if we choose so. By enduring and forbearing what fate brings us, we grow and develop our moral character. As Seneca wrote:

“But why was god so unfair when distributing fate that he matched good men with poverty and wounds and untimely deaths?” An artisan cannot change his material: nature has not allowed this. Certain things cannot be separated from certain other things: they hold together, they are indivisible. Minds that are sluggish and liable to fall asleep or to be awake in a way that is no different from sleep are woven from inactive elements. To fashion a man who can genuinely be called a man, a stronger fate is needed. For him, the way will not be flat: he must go up and down, he must be tossed by waves, and must guide his vessel on a stormy sea. He must hold his course against fortune. Many things will happen that are hard and rough—but things he can soften and smooth out himself. Fire proves gold; misery, brave men. See how high virtue ought to ascend. You will realize that the way he needs to go is not free of cares… (On Providence 5.9-10)

As I’ve said in the past, bear and forbear only get us half the way there. Why? Because it lacks the attitude of gratitude for everything that happens in the cosmos. However, as Stoic prokoptons, who are on the path but have not arrived at virtue yet, bear and forbear may be the best we can do on some occasions when we are facing great pain or perceived personal tragedy. Endure it at the moment, and hopefully, sometime later, you will see the event from the cosmic perspective and develop an attitude of gratitude.

Rudeness

The third and final impression Epictetus offers in this lesson is rudeness. This can come in many forms: a rude driver, a rude person in the checkout line, a rude neighbor, coworker, boss, etc. The impression of rude behavior is presented to our mind, and we immediately attached the value judgment that this rude behavior is “bad.” We may feel insulted or disrespected. We should pay attention to personal insults and rudeness to the extent this behavior may be a precursor to a physical attack we need to avoid or counter with an appropriate defensive response. However, rudeness and insults cannot harm our moral character and diminish our well-being. Therefore, responding to rudeness or insults with the same is not an appropriate response for a Stoic. We must say, “Stop it” to ourselves before the judgment that we have been wronged leads to the impulse to act similarly. Then, we can Strip the impression bare by realizing our moral character cannot be harmed by the actions of others. Remember what we learned as children: “Sticks and stone can break my bones, but words can never harm me.” That’s pretty Stoic when you think about it.

Once we Stop and Strip the impression of harm bare, we can “See it” from the cosmic perspective. Here’s an invaluable lesson from Epictetus on the topic of perceived injury caused by others.

‘What, then, if someone injures me, won’t I injure him in return?’ Consider first what an injury is, and recall what you have heard from the philosophers. If it is the case, then, that the good lies in choice, and the bad likewise, see whether what you’ve just said amounts to this: ‘Since the person in question has injured himself by inflicting some wrong on me, shouldn’t I injure myself by inflicting some wrong on him?’ Why don’t we picture the matter in some such way as that, instead of counting it as an injury when we suffer some loss with regard to our body or possessions, while counting it as no injury at all where our choice is affected? It is that when one is deceived or commits an injustice, one suffers no pain in one’s head, or one’s eye, or one’s hip, nor does one lose any land; and we’re concerned about nothing other than things of that kind. As to whether our choice is kept honest and trustworthy, or will on the contrary be shameful and unreliable, that doesn’t cause us the slightest concern, except when it comes to making fine speeches in the classroom. And so the progress that we make extends only to speechifying, and apart from that we advance not a step further. (Discourses 2.10.23-30)

Seeing rudeness from the cosmic perspective allows us to apply the power of patience to the situation. As we learned in Episode 36, people behave badly “because they have no knowledge of good and bad” (Meditation 2.1). We must remember rude people do not harm us. Their rudeness only harms them.

In conclusion, Encheiridion 10 shares some resources that help us develop good habits that prevent us from being carried away by impressions. These resources are already within us, and Epictetus reminds us of this by telling us to turn to ourselves when we need these powers to deal with impressions. We simply need to practice these powers frequently, so they become habitual. As Simplicius noted in his commentary on:

So with each external thing we encounter that drags us towards the outside, we mustn’t be grabbed immediately by an impression saying that it is good or bad, or immediately rouse our desire or aversion. Instead we should discover the ally that is in us and invoke its aid, and then together with it and through it we must ward off the thing we encounter.^[2]

The goal of Stoic practice is to deny fuel to that initial spark of the first impression. That fuel is the value judgment that sets our desires and aversions ablaze and inspires impropriate impulses to act. We possess the powers needed to extinguish the flames of the desires and aversions that lead us into pathos. To use them, we must turn inward to ourselves and rely on that wise teacher within us to help guide the frequently unruly child that wants what it wants when it wants it. Nature gave us all the resources we need to deal with every event we encounter; we simply need to apply them.