When Life Hurts, Stop Clinging to It | The Philosophy of Epictetus

Stoicism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/innerpeace

Our very sense of wellbeing is at gunpoint when we cling to the fickle, unreliable outside world. Around two thousand years ago, Stoic philosopher Epictetus observed that people are burdened and dragged down because they tend to care about too many things. His cure, however, is not to stop caring altogether but to care about the right things and stop clinging to anything that doesn’t matter.

What matters and doesn’t matter according to Epictetus is bound to the reality of our place as reasonable beings in an ever-changing environment. This reality Epictetus makes clear in the underlying tenet of his work: ‘the dichotomy of control.’ Some things are in our control, others not. If we manage to concern ourselves with the things in our control, we are in a position of strength.

But if we neglect these things, and focus on what’s not in our control, we are in a position of weakness. Especially when we cling to what’s not up to us, we set ourselves up for a life of suffering. But what are those things that we cling to? And why is it better to let go of them? This video explores the philosophy of Epictetus, and what we, according to him, should focus on to be happy and content, and what we should let go of, and how we do this.

Support the channel:
✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco
✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster
✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC
(Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address)

🎞️ Animations by Munkaa:
https://www.youtube.com/user/jus7y

Purchase Stoicism for Inner Peace (affiliate links):
📘 Paperback: https://amzn.to/3wB9iHb
💻 Ebook: https://amzn.to/2RdjbKV

Purchase Unoffendable (affiliate links):
📘 Paperback: https://amzn.to/2RJYfti
💻 Ebook: https://amzn.to/35e23a5

Merchandise:
🛍️ Shop: teespring.com/stores/einzelgangerstore
🛍️ Merchandise design by Punksthetic Art:
https://www.youtube.com/user/JRStoneart

Music used:
VYEN - Amber
pATCHES - The Joy Definitive
pATCHES - Humble Proofreading

Creative Commons (attributions):

Epictetus: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Discourses_-Epictetus(illustration_1)_(9021700938).jpg
Epicurus: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greece_from_the_Coming_of_the_Hellenes_to_AD._14,_page_257,_Epicurus.jpg
Stoa: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Second_floor_detail_Stoa_of_Attalus_Athens.jpg

00:00 - Intro
01:37 - Dichotomy of control
05:04 - (1) Stop clinging to objects, people, and power.
09:10 - (2) Stop clinging to the opinions of others.
12:08 - (3) Stop clinging to outcomes and ideas.

#stoicism #epictetus #stoic

stoic philosophyhow to be a stoicepictetus