The Art of Living: The Classical Mannual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness

By Epictetus and Sharon Lebell

A modern translation of the philosophical classic—A necessary companion for a living a more present, intentional, and virtuous life—one full of gratitude for who we are and who we have yet to become

“Epictetus sounds like the Buddha, and Sharon Lebell’s voice makes him sound like the delightful man next door.” — Sylvia Boorstein, author of It's Easier Than You Think

Epictetus is brought back to life in this stunning translation by Sharon Lebell, a philosophical writer and musician. A beloved teacher of Stoic Philosophy, Epictetus observed that although everyday life is fraught with difficulty, a life of virtue is within reach. He dedicated his life to outlining the simple ways to happiness, fulfillment, and tranquility, and that advice comes to live in this brief, yet deeply impactful, book.

By putting into practice the ninety-three witty, wise, and razor-sharp instructions that make up The Art of Living, readers learn to meet the challenges of everyday life successfully and to face life's inevitable losses and disappointments with grace and morality. In this powerful guide to mindfulness and self-reflection, Epictetus provides practical wisdom on:

• How the root of suffering isn’t actually life’s challenges, but how we react and respond to them
• How the way we view others should mirror the way we view ourselves…with grace, empathy, and understanding
• The ways that selfishness and self-centeredness cloud our judgements and impairs our ability to fully connect with others
• How to focus inward to free yourself of the negative thoughts that cause anxiety, stress, and shame
• How to lead with kindness and forgive ourselves, and others, time and time again—and emerge stronger as a result

Epictetus was born into slavery about 55 CE in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire, and despite all he endured, has become one of the most influential writers on attaining inner peace and joy. He brilliantly shows us the possibility of leading with both logic and emotion to emerge stronger and more self-aware though all of the waves life crashes on us.

Timeless, practical, and entirely unforgettable, this is a book you will reach for, and recommend, again and again. The perfect gift for anyone seeking a different path forward—one sure to be filled with more compassion, self-love, and appreciation for all the things that make us human.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9780062273765

Epictetus

Epictetus (circa 55-135 ce) taught in Rome until the year 94 ce, when Emperor Domitian banished philosophers from the city. In exile, he established a school of philosophy where his distinguished students included Marcus Aurelius, author of Meditations.

Book preview

The Art of Living

The Classical Manual on Virtue

Happiness, and Effectiveness

Epictetus

A New Interpretation by Sharon Lebell

Dedication

For John, Keilah, Misha, and Danya,

and thanks to Bernard and Lyla Grossman.

Contents

Dedication

Prologue

The Spirit of Epictetus

A Manual for Living

Invitation to the Manual

Essential Teachings on Virtue, Happiness, and Tranquility

Why Be Good?

Epi-Who? How a 2000-Year-Old Dead White Male Changed My Life

Why Would Anyone Want to Be a Stoic?

About the Editor

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

PROLOGUE

Part of Epictetus’s enduring appeal and widespread influence is that he wasn’t fussy about distinguishing between professional philosophers and ordinary people. He expressed his message clearly and zealously to all people interested in living a morally awake life.

Epictetus nevertheless staunchly believed in the necessity of training for the gradual refinement of personal character and behavior. Moral progress is not the natural province of the highborn, nor is it achieved by accident or luck, but by working on yourself—daily.

Epictetus would have had little patience for the aggressive position-taking and -defending and verbal pirouettes that unfortunately sometimes pass for doing philosophy in today’s universities. As a master of succinct explanation, he would have been similarly suspicious of the murky verbiage found in academic, philosophical, and other dry texts. Inasmuch as he passionately denounced displays of cleverness for its own sake, he was committed to non-patronizing explanations of helpful ideas for living well. He considered himself successful when his ideas were easily grasped and put to use in someone’s real life, where they could actually do some good elevating that person’s character.

In keeping with the democratic and unstuffy spirit of Epictetus’s doctrine, this volume encapsulates the great Stoic’s key ideas and uses down-to-earth language and imagery suited to our ears today. To present Epictetus’s teachings in as straight-forward and useful a manner as possible, I have done my share of selection, interpretation, and improvisation with the ideas contained in the Enchiridion and the Discourses, the only surviving documents that summarize Epictetus’s philosophy. My aim has been to communicate the authentic spirit, but not necessarily the letter, of Epictetus. I have thus consulted the various translations of his teachings and then given fresh expression to what I think he would have said today.

Epictetus well understood the eloquence of action. He exhorted his students to shun mere clever theorizing in favor of actively applying his teachings to the concrete circumstances of daily life. Accordingly, I have tried to express the kernels of Epictetus’s thought in an up-to-date, provocative way, one that will inspire readers not only to contemplate, but to make the small, successive changes that culminate in personal dignity and a meaningful, noble life.

THE SPIRIT OF EPICTETUS

How do I live a happy, fulfilling life?

How can I be a good person?

Answering these two questions was the single-minded passion of Epictetus, the great Stoic philosopher. Although his works are less well-known today, due to the decline of classical education, they have had enormous influence on leading thinkers on the art of living for almost two millennia.

Epictetus was born a slave about A.D. 55 in Hierapolis, Phrygia, in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire. His master was Epaphroditus, Nero’s administrative secretary. From an early age, Epictetus exhibited superior intellectual talent, and Epaphroditus was so impressed that he sent the young man to Rome to study with the famous Stoic teacher, Gaius Musonius Rufus. Musonius Rufus’s works, which survive in Greek, include arguments in favor of equal education for women and against the sexual double standard in marriage, and Epictetus’s famous egalitarian spirit may have been nurtured under his tutelage. Epictetus became Musonius Rufus’s most acclaimed student and was eventually freed from slavery.

Epictetus taught in Rome until A.D. 94, when the emperor Domitian, threatened by the growing influence of philosophers, banished him from Rome. He spent the rest of his life in exile in Nicopolis, on the northwest coast of Greece. There he established a philosophical school, and spent his days delivering lectures on how to live with greater dignity and tranquility. Among his most distinguished students was the young Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who eventually became ruler of the Roman Empire. He was also the author of the famous Meditations, whose Stoic roots were in Epictetus’s moral doctrines.

Even though Epictetus was a brilliant master of logic and disputation, he didn’t flaunt his exceptional rhetorical skill. His demeanor was that of a lighthearted, humble teacher urging his students to take the business of living wisely very seriously. Epictetus walked his talk: He lived modestly in a small hut and eschewed any interest in fame, fortune, and power. He died about A.D. 135, in Nicopolis.

Epictetus believed that the primary job of philosophy is to help ordinary people effectively meet the everyday challenges of daily life, and to deal with life’s inevitable major losses, disappointments, and griefs. His was a moral teaching stripped of sentimentality, piousness, and metaphysical mumbo-jumbo. What remains is the West’s first and best primer for living the best possible life.

While many readers have turned to Eastern sources for nonsectarian spiritual guidance, the West has had a vital, if overlooked, classic treasury of such helpful action-wisdom all along. One of the wittiest teachers who ever lived, Epictetus’s teachings rank with those contained in the greatest wisdom literature of human civilization. The Discourses could be thought of as the West’s answer to Buddhism’s Dhammapada or Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. Those who fault Western philosophy with being overly cerebral and inadequately addressing the nonrational dimensions of life may be surprised to learn that The Art of Living is actually a philosophy of inner freedom and tranquility, a way of life whose purpose is to lighten our hearts.

An unexpectedly East-West flavor enlivens The Art of Living. On the one hand, its style is irrefutably Western: It exalts reason and is full of stern, no-nonsense moral

Reviews for The Art of Living

[Jonatan Därndal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Väldigt bra och en massa man kan implementera i livet.

[Mack Johnson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great small manual condensing teachings from the Discourses and the Enchiridion of Epictetus. I have read Epictetus' catalogue and I found this manual useful for reminding myself of those teachings.

[Muhammad Usman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book,short and have quite wisdom in it. It enables to see life in a different way. It urges us to focus on small little things in life and pay attention to different things we do in our daily life. Quite pleasing to read it :)

[d-fbuser-250739229 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Give me a new meaning of everything I see about Life

[tgraettinger_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic - just finished reading it for the second, and I have picked up new insights each time

[jwhenderson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the little (29 pp) book that lays out the essence of Stoic philosophy. While founded by Zeno of Cytium more than three centuries earlier, it is the work of Epictetus (along with Seneca and Marcus Aurelius) that forms Stoic thought as we know it today. Stoicism, while not a well known today as the thought of Plato and Aristotle, was one of the major philosophic schools in Greece and Rome for a half a millenium. What makes the handbook most interesting today is the practical advice aspect of Epictetus' thought. One can put some of these ideas to good use even in the twenty-first century.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting and approachable introduction to stoicism.

[paul_s-289480 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Not everything that survived from antiquity is gold. This is a terrible book, a 1st century self-help book equivalent with plenty of profound sounding prescriptions without much argumentation behind them. When it does provide the reasoning it's logical fallacies galore. Most of it sounds like rambling of a belligerent drunkard. I'll save you the chore of slogging through this: desire only what you have and ignore anything that you can't control. Also worship Zeus.

[madepercy-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Enchiridion reads like the Proverbs and the Hadith. I am finding much in Stoicism that aligns with many of my own ideas. I am not sure whether this is from aspects of training and education that were implicitly Stoic or not. Indeed, I cannot recall any explicitly Stoic teachings in my formal education. Long's translations are interesting and draw upon previous translations. The notes are helpful, especially where all translators are unable to comprehend the precise meaning of certain of Epictetus's [reading Stephen King converted me to the s's rather than the s' plural] "fragments". This is a quick read, and worth further reflection.

[bricker-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My first exposure to the stoic idea of philosophy and it was very enjoyable. Clear and rational rules for a way to a more accomplished life. Learning to accept your feelings and taking responsibility for them can diminish the impact others have on you and your ability to be happy was a huge idea.

[hadriantheblind · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A little something to read on Thanksgiving. Maybe after this, I'll leaf through Seneca, then watch Charlie Brown or something.

One of the big three stoics, with the authors being Marcus Aurelius and Seneca. Epictetus recieved no formal schooling, and was a slave for most of his life. No self-pity. Instead, independence, fearlessness, and acceptance of death and suffering. Self-rule and self-improvement. Forgiveness, acceptance, and understanding.

Almost resembles some forms of Buddhism. In many ways, both are fatalistic, but this is not necessarily pessimism. Instead, there is peace.

I typically find most 'self-help' books to be injurious, maybe even dangerous in their mindless positivity. If it is not too imperious, I would recommend the Stoics and their friends instead, for their mindful tranquility.

[hernibs_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Author succeeds in translating this old Greek philosopher and his teachings into modern times. Short chapters for mediation among hustle and bustle of today's hectic life

[quantumbutterfly_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent introduction to this Stoic philosopher. While none of the text is anything he said in life, each subject discussed comes from what teachings we have of him and what he would likely have said. It's amazing how timeless these words can become, speaking to some of the eternal aspects of the human condition.
Philosophy should not be something highbrow and removed from understanding by the general populace. Epictetus can bring it back down to earth.

[fundevogel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stoics are weird. And I'm kinda surprised so many people reviewed this book as some amazing bit of timeless philosophy.

The Handbook is just that, a handbook. An ancient Roman self-help book from the Stoic perspective. Some of the the advice still holds true, things like:

- don't doddle and miss your boat, a literal boat, not a figurative one
- know that there are things in your power and things beyond your power, don't confuse them
- do be disciplined in your undertakings and don't procrastinate

Good stuff right? Unfortunately that is pretty much all of the advice he gives that still holds true. The rest doesn't make sense unless you live in ancient Rome and the world is innately perfect and harmonious and magical even when shitty things happen. This seems to be the gaping hole in Stoic philosophy, the conviction that the universe was perfect and harmonious despite evidence to the contrary. When shitty things happen to you, according to the Stoics, they aren't really shitty, they just seem shitty because you have let yourself become out of sync with the universe. Your wife and child died? Well of course they did! That's the nature of the universe, you should have expected it and accepted it. You're a slave? Well that's just how it is, you can't very well expect to be free can you? Just try to get used to it.

This is the backbone of Epictetus' advice, lowering your expectations so that they coincide with the course your life is probably going to take anyway. No one ever rocked the boat or overcame great odds based on Stoic philosophy. Throw in some quick advice about how to respond to omens and when you should and shouldn't see a fortune teller and that's about it. Well, that and advising you to be as boring as possible, not hanging out with non philosophers, not talking at all if you can help it, not swearing but frowning to show your disapproval when others do and certainly not having sex if you can avoid it. Stoics sure tried their darnedest to live boring, unremarkable lives.

But ol' Epictetus wasn't a complete twat wet blanket. He understood that there are somethings you just can't live without.

"Take what has to do with the body to the point of bare need, such as food, drink, clothing, house, household slaves, and cut out everything that is for reputation and luxury."

Timeless, no?

Ultimately this is a quick, fairly amusing read, but I certainly wouldn't take it too seriously.

[jburlinson_3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I have three bones to pick with Sharon Lebell's "new interpretation" of Epictetus' Enchiridion. (1) It's over-elaborate; the original is pithy, directness and leanness are not only stylistically distinctive, but underscore the "stoical" message. (2) It's unnecessarily idiomatic: expressions like "death is no big deal," and "don't kid yourself" tend to further trivialize sentiments that, to a modern audience, already might appear simplistic (deceptively so, though, in my opinion.) (3) It's wrong. Here's a contrast between Lebell's version and the translation by George Long, available on Project Gutenberg. Lebell: "Do your best to reign in your desire. For if you desire something that isn't within your own control, disappointment will surely follow; meanwhile, you will be neglecting the very things that are within your control that are worthy of desire. Of course, there are times when for practical reasons you must go after one thing or shun another, but do so with grace, finesse, and flexibility." Long: "For if you desire anything which is not in our power, you must be unfortunate; but of the things in our power, and which it would be good to desire, nothing yet is before you. But employ only the power of moving towards an object and retiring from it; and these powers indeed only slightly and with exceptions and with remission." Different, wouldn't you say?

[tullius22 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm so glad I found this book.
(10/10)

[sumer1_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredible philosophy.

[mvandine_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Marvelous translation. Utterly relevant, and a good companion book to stow into the backpack, briefcase or laptop bag for an occasional dip or deep dive as time permits.

[ammianus_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm certainly no philosopher but this is a great little book; well written with a well-thought out, attractive layout