The Golden Sayings of Epictetus: Control

In the sayings below, you will find that Epictetus thought people have control over their thoughts, feelings, and actions. People can control their internal life as well as the externalization of their reactions to things that happen to them. Therefore, one of the important things a person must do is to enumerate the things that they control and, most critically, the things that they do not control. Through understanding and identifying the things that are not in one's control, one can gain mastery over their feelings about them.

VIII: Long passage on the person that refuses to sells their self is on the path to being an inspiration for others.
XIV: Long passage on appreciating our purpose
XVII: On suicide and the chains of the body and freedom of the mind
XIX: Why worry what others can do?

XXXII: A man in a situation against his will, is a prisoner.

XXXV: On appreciating what the Gods have given.
XL: Selling a shoemaker as good-for-nothing and avoiding poor judgement by holding important only things that depend on the Will.
XLIV: Do. Or do not.
XLVI: On knowing one's capabilities.
XLVII: On men's objection to persuasion.
XLIX: On God, what is in our control and bearing witness.
LI: Only will and reason is in our control and pleasing God.
LIV: On trials and what is in our control.
LV: Fear the fear of Death or Pain.
LXIV: On Socrates and his ability to stay calm.
LXXI: Long passage on accepting fate and seeking tranquility within.
LXXXIII: "No man can rob us of our Will—no man can lord it over
LXXXV: "...to wear ever the same countenance in going forth as in coming in."
XCV: On the benefits of releasing desire.
CXLII: Long passage on being ready to give up all that God has given.
CLI: Long passage on man’s ability to distinguish those things that can be controlled and those things that cannot be controlled.
CLII: On being shut out and not caring, since this is an uncontrollable external.
CLIII: “But what says Socrates?—"One man finds pleasure in improving his land, another his horses. My pleasure lies in seeing that I myself grow better day by day."
CLX: Remember that one is an actor in a play not the chooser of the role.
CLXI: Keep death in mind at all times.
CLXV: “Laughter should not be much, nor frequent, nor unrestrained.”
CLXXXIV: On being concerned with only what can be controlled.

Summary Index to the Golden Sayings of Epictetus

I: Long passage in praise of God
II: Long passage on duty to home
III: "Try to enjoy the great festival of life with other men."
IV: On God V: Rufus
VI: Long passage on what man is given by God
VII: It is a kingly thing, O Cyrus, to do well and to be evil spoken of.
VIII: Long passage on the person that refuses to sells their self is on the path to being an inspiration for others.
IX: Why is adoption by Cæsar more valued than being created by God?
X: "Thou art but a poor soul laden with a lifeless body."
XI: "...a man can only lose what he has."
XII: "...that in exchange for it he consented to become a thief"
XIII: On harmony with nature
XIV: Long passage on appreciating our purpose
XV: "I am a citizen of the world."
XVI: On the importance of being decedent from God
XVII: On suicide and the chains of the body and freedom of the mind
XVIII: Life is Short and Easy to those Minded. Do not depart hastily.
XIX: Why worry what others can do?
XX: Despite the great faculties God has given you, you still lament.
XXI: "Socrates ... was fully assured that he was the kinsman of Gods."
XXII: All things will be at once according to your mind and according to the Mind of God.
XIII: On closed-mindedness.
XXIV: While other men focus on profit, those that can reason administer the world.
XXV: Lost all, but still no evil has happened.
XXVI: To wish that each thing should come to pass as it does. XXVII: Contemplate what one gains in a loss.
XXVIII: On peoples differing beliefs concerning God.
XXIX: On accepting what comes as from God
XXX: "You must know that it is no easy thing for a principle to become a man's own..."
XXXI: On choosing how to judge aloneness and being in company of others.
XXXII: A man in a situation against his will, is a prisoner.
XXXIII: In reason thou art equal to the gods.
XXXIV: On eating with the Gods, and to treat all men as brothers.
XXXV: On appreciating what the Gods have given.
XXXVI: Concerning God's omnipresence.
XXXVII: On allegiance to God and God's companionship.
XXXVIII: "How shall my brother cease to be wroth with me?"
XXXIX: On reconciliation with loved ones.
XL: Selling a shoemaker as good-for-nothing and avoiding poor judgement by holding important only things that depend on the Will.
XLI: Do not make others endure what you would shun enduring yourself.
XLII: On gratitude and desire.
XLIII: On vanity and the desire to be remembered well.
XLIV: Do. Or do not.
XLV: On the ineffectiveness of punishment.
XLVI: On knowing one's capabilities.
XLVII: On men's objection to persuasion.
XLVIII: On Socrates doing no wrong.
XLIX: On God, what is in our control and bearing witness.
L: Do unto others.
LI: Only will and reason is in our control and pleasing God.
LII: On Socrates. "Anytus and Melitus may put me to death: to injure me is beyond their power."
LIII: On God and his messengers.
LIV: On trials and what is in our control.
LV: Fear the fear of Death or Pain.
LVI: As part of the whole man is destined to suffer.
LVII: Diogenes, a good judge of character needs no recommendations.
LVIII: On seeking God as a guide.
LIX: The nature of God is good therefore: Intelligence, Knowledge and Right Reason.
LX: As thou art a fragment of God, see the good.
LXI: A beautiful long passage on the the strength of the knowledge of God.
LXII: "No labour, according to Diogenes, is good but that which aims at producing courage and strength of soul rather than of body."
LXIII: On teaching the unlearned man.
LXIV: On Socrates and his ability to stay calm.
LXV: "I am wise, for I have conversed with many wise men," Epictetus replied, "I too have conversed with many rich men, yet I am not rich!"
LXVI: On God and Philosophers teaching that we must be imitators of God.
LXVII: When a physician tells us we are sick, we take no insult. However, when a man is told he is poor at reason, he will tell you he is insulted.
LXVIII: On life's participants and observers.
LXIX: "A fool you can neither bend nor break."
LXX: On appreciation of what is near.
LXXI: Long passage on accepting fate and seeking tranquility within.
LXXII: To pursue Philosophy one must throw away self-importance.
LXXIII: On the ideal student.
LXXIV: "The question at stake," said Epictetus, "is no common one; it is this:—Are we in our senses, or are we not?"
LXXV: On the danger of habits of vice and how they training the mind.
LXXVI: "Resolve, now if never before, to approve thyself to thyself"
LXXVII: "you are fighting for Kingship, for Liberty, for Happiness, for Tranquillity. Remember God: call upon Him to aid thee, like a comrade that stands beside thee in the fight."
LXVIII: A long eloquent passage on what it is to be Stoic.
LXXIX: "If you have assumed a character beyond your strength, you have both played a poor figure in that, and neglected one that is within your powers."
LXXX: Long passage concerning having bad thoughts and insisting school is not helping.
LXXXI: Long passage on the need for both skill in speaking and skill in hearing and the definition of good and evil.
LXXXII: Long passage on keeping only friends that focus on the will and dealing rightly with things. Avoiding those that focus on external things.
LXXXIII: "No man can rob us of our Will—no man can lord it over
LXXXIV: Long passage, "When disease and death overtake me, I would fain be found engaged in the task of liberating mine own Will from the assaults of passion, from hindrance, from resentment, from slavery."
LXXXV: "...to wear ever the same countenance in going forth as in coming in."
LXXXVI: "How are we constituted by Nature? To be free, to be noble, to be modest..."
LXXXVII: "The husbandman deals with land; physicians and trainers with the body; the wise man with his own Mind."
LXXXVIII: On that Lycurgus rehabilitated the citizen given to him to punish.
LXXXIX: On how good cannot reject good nor evil reject evil.
XC: On common sense.
XCI: The greatest loss is to leave undone what though shouldst have done.
XCII: Long passage on people's judgement of misfortune.
XCIII: Long passage on the effort required to learn a Philosopher's ways.
XCIV: On the benefits of being a philosopher.
XCV: On the benefits of releasing desire.
XCVI: "Pittacus wronged by one whom he had it in his power to punish, let him go free..."
XCVII: "...However he may treat me, I must deal rightly by him..."
XCVIII: On the importance of introspection.
XCIX: On the how one is influenced and influences those with whom one had frequent intercourse.
C: Discipline of the body for display is to be avoided.
CI: "...Fast; drink water only; abstain altogether from desire, that thou mayest hereafter conform thy desire to Reason."
CII: On doing good unto mankind through example.
CIII: On leadership.
CIV: Long passage on the merit of committing whole to a profession.
CV: "He that hath no musical instruction is a child in Music; he that hath no letters is a child in Learning; he that is untaught is a child in Life."
CVI: Long passage on the benefit men do unto each other.
CVII: "I counsel you to be cautious in associating with the uninstructed."
CVIII: Long passage on caution in accepting a position.
CIX: Focus exclusively on the abstract does not enable learning.
CX: Long passage on the Cynic's lack of God.
CXI: "...true Cynic will have none of these things; instead of them, he must wrap himself in Modesty:..."
CXII: On death.
CXIII: On the Cynic as a messenger from God.
CXIV: On the Cynic as an embodiment of happiness without possessions.
CXV: "Give thyself more diligently to reflection: know thyself: take counsel with the Godhead: without God put thine hand unto nothing!"
CXVI: Long passage on Cynic and marriage.
CXVII: On Cynic and holding office.
CXVIII: On Cynic and the need to maintain the body.
CXIX: On Cynic drawing power from conscience.
CXX: On Philosophers attracting those that would benefit.
CXXI: On the pain in learning philosophy.
CXXII: "If any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone. For God hath made all men to enjoy felicity and constancy of good."
CXXIII: On the connectedness of God, Men and Nature.
CXXIV: On God as the Father of all.
CXXV: Long passage on the importance of executing our roles to the best of our ability.
CXXVI: “… A good man does nothing for appearance’ sake...”
CXXVII: “It befits thee not to be unhappy by reason of any, but rather to be happy by reason of all men, and especially by reason of God, who formed us to this end.”
CXXVIII: On Diogenes as a friend of man.
CXXIX: “I am by Nature made for my own good; not for my own evil.”
CXXX: Long passage on how what is given us is not irrevocable.
CXXXI: Long passage on the willingness of a good man to give up his life.
CXXXII: On the willingness of a good man to serve without complaint.
CXXXIII: On seeking the best in one’s current situation.
CXXXIV: On faith and belief in the good intentions of one’s leaders.
CXXXV: On directing one’s thoughts away from the fear of death.
CXXXVI: On the freedom of living as one wishes.
CXXXVII: Long passage on choosing God as one’s companion in life.
CXXXVIII: ” …That what God wills, he should will also; that what God wills not, neither should he will…”
CXXXIX: Long passage on being grateful for what God has given.
CXL: Long passage on being grateful for what God has given and the requirement to contribute to and make better the world.
CXLI: Long passage on in order to be free one must value nothing including the body.
CXLII: Long passage on being ready to give up all that God has given.
CXLIII: “Asked how a man should best grieve his enemy, Epictetus replied, "By setting himself to live the noblest life himself."
CXLIV: Long passage on having no expectations of the world and being a friend of God.
CXLV: Long passage on …” Remember that not the love of power and wealth sets us under the heel of others, but even the love of tranquillity, of leisure…”
CXLVI: Make oneself a good person and service.
CXLVII: On happiness coming from the Gods.
CXLVIII: On God’s principles.
CXLIX: “If you seek Truth, you will not seek to gain a victory by every possible means; and when you have found Truth, you need not fear being defeated.”
CL: “What foolish talk is this? how can I any longer lay claim to right principles, if I am not content with being what I am, but am all aflutter about what I am supposed to be?”
CLI: Long passage on man’s ability to distinguish those things that can be controlled and those things that cannot be controlled.
CLII: On being shut out and not caring, since this is an uncontrollable external.
CLIII: “But what says Socrates?—"One man finds pleasure in improving his land, another his horses. My pleasure lies in seeing that I myself grow better day by day."
CLIV: Long passage on how Euphrates benefitted by practicing the philosophic life without letting others know.
CLV: On how it is best to build wisdom internally prior to revealing oneself.
CLVI: On perseverance toward reaching the life of a philosopher.
CLVII: On remembering in crisis that toil is required to succeed in life.
CLVIII: To progress one must be content to seem foolish toward outward things.
CLIX: On conducting life as a banquet by taking only what is needed.
CLX: Remember that one is an actor in a play not the chooser of the role.
CLXI: Keep death in mind at all times.
CLXII: “As a mark is not set up in order to be missed, so neither is such a thing as natural evil produced in the World.”
CLXIII: On Piety toward the Gods.
CLXIV: On how to behave in the company of others.
CLXV: “Laughter should not be much, nor frequent, nor unrestrained.”
CLXVI: “Refuse altogether to take an oath if you can, if not, as far as may be.”
CLXVII: On avoiding requests of the unlearned.
CLXVIII: On taking what is needed and rejecting excess.
CLXIX: If one speaks evil of you say, “He surely knew not my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these only!”
CLXX: When visiting those in power, bearing what happens.
CLXXI: On avoiding undo talk fo ones own actions and dangers.
CLXXII: “When you have decided that a thing ought to be done, and are doing it, never shun being seen doing it…”
CLXXIII: A person who takes too long on things of the body has little time for understanding.
CLXXIV: “Everything has two handles, one by which it may be borne, the other by which it may not…”
CLXXV: A long passage on avoiding talk of yourself as a Philosopher.
CLXXVI: On avoiding outward declarations of one’s practice as a Philosopher.
CLXXVII: Long passage on the importance of practicing Philosophy rather than admiring the content.
CLXXVIII: “…What you give to the body, you presently lose; what you give to the soul, you keep for ever.”
CLXXX: “It is best to share with your attendants what is going forward, both in the labour of preparation and in the enjoyment of the feast itself.”
CLXXXI: When Xanthippe was chiding Socrates for making scanty preparation for entertaining his friends, he answered:—"If they are friends of ours they will not care for that; if they are not, we shall care nothing for them!"
CLXXXII: “Asked, Who is the rich man? Epictetus replied, "He who is content."
CLXXXIII: “Favorinus tells us how Epictetus would also say that there were two faults far graver and fouler than any others—inability to bear, and inability to forbear…”
CLXXXIV: On being concerned with only what can be contoled.
CLXXXV: “We shall then be like Socrates, when we can indite hymns of praise to the Gods in prison.”
CLXXXVI: Long passage on how doing ones best is choosing the crew for a voyage, once this is done one must welcome fate. Even if a terrible storm appears.
CLXXXVII: Long passage uses the analogy of two spies having different perspective. One states all is horrible, the other of the freedom from such horror though the Philosopher’s perspective.
CLXXXVIII: Long passage on what a man gains through the peace proclaimed by God through reason.
CLXXXIX: Long passage on Epictetus’s desire to in death be found doing a deed of true humanity.

Epictetus image, by Frontispiece drawn by “Sonnem.” (? hard to read, left bottom corner) and engraved by “MB” (bottom right corner). Image scanned by the John Adams Library at the Boston Public Library. Image slightly improved by Aristeas. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Subject Index to the Golden Sayings of Epictetus

Click on a Subject Below to View Related Sayings

• God
• Mental Health and Stability
• Control
• Harmony with Nature - Coming Soon
• Socializing with Other People - Coming Soon
• The Body - Coming Soon