Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Discourses 3.6 ¶2–3 — Epictetus
From “Miscellaneous”
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Discourses 3.6 ¶2–3
The good man is invincible, for he does not enter the contest where he is not stronger. If you (his adversary) want to have his land and all that is on it, take the land; take his slaves, take his magisterial office, take his poor body. But you will not make his desire fail in that which it seeks, nor his aversion fall into that which he would avoid. The only contest into which he enters is that about things which are within the power of his will; how then will he not be invincible? Some person having asked him what is common sense, Epictetus replied: As that may be called a certain common hearing which only distinguishes vocal sounds, and that which distinguishes musical sounds is not common, but artificial; so there are certain things which men, who are not altogether perverted, see by the common notions which all possess. Such a constitution of the mind is named common sense.
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Discourses 3.6 ¶2–3, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/discourses/3.6.2
Epictetus, Discourses (as recorded by Arrian), tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesA good person cannot be defeated because they enter only the contest where they are strongest: their own choices. Others may take property, position or health, but they cannot make you fail to get what you rightly want or push you into what you fear. The second part defines common sense as the basic understanding shared by people whose minds are not twisted.
Older wording
- “aversion”
- — what you try to avoid or fear
- “magisterial office”
- — a public official position
- “common notions”
- — basic ideas shared by all people
Themes and situations
- What is in our control
- Resilience and endurance
- Freedom
- Virtue and character
- Courage
- Losing a job
- Losing money
- Being treated unfairly
- A career setback
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