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

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

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 1,743 ratings · 168 reviews

Epictetus was born into slavery about 55 C.E. in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire. Sold as a child and crippled from the beatings of his master, Epictetus was eventually freed, rising from his humble roots to establish an influential school of Stoic philosophy. Stressing that human beings cannot control life, only how they respond to it, Epictetus dedicated his l

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Paperback, 128 pages

Published May 4th 2004 by HarperOne (first published 125)

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Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus

A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine

Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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Jul 28, 2009 Marcus rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, self-development

Stoicism according to Epictetus, is:

Don't demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they happen as they do happen, and you will go on well.

and:

If you ever happen to turn your attention to externals, so as to wish to please anyone, be assured that you have ruined your scheme of life.

My favorite quote, maybe because it's so personally relevant and so incisive, is, and bear with Epictetus, this one is a bit long-winded:

In every affair consider what precedes and follows, and then undert

...more Stoicism according to Epictetus, is:

Don't demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they happen as they do happen, and you will go on well.

and:

If you ever happen to turn your attention to externals, so as to wish to please anyone, be assured that you have ruined your scheme of life.

My favorite quote, maybe because it's so personally relevant and so incisive, is, and bear with Epictetus, this one is a bit long-winded:

In every affair consider what precedes and follows, and then undertake it. Otherwise you will begin with spirit; but not having thought of the consequences, when some of them appear you will shamefully desist. "I would conquer at the Olympic games." But consider what precedes and follows, and then, if it is for your advantage, engage in the affair. You must conform to rules, submit to a diet, refrain from dainties; exercise your body, whether you choose it or not, at a stated hour, in heat and cold; you must drink no cold water, nor sometimes even wine. [...:] When you have evaluated all this, if your inclination still holds, then go to war. Otherwise, take notice, you will behave like children who sometimes play like wrestlers, sometimes gladiators, sometimes blow a trumpet, and sometimes act a tragedy when they have seen and admired these shows. Thus you too will be at one time a wrestler, at another a gladiator, now a philosopher, then an orator; but with your whole soul, nothing at all. Like an ape, you mimic all you see, and one thing after another is sure to please you, but is out of favor as soon as it becomes familiar.

At other times, his advice is a little harder to swallow:

If, for example, you are fond of a specific ceramic cup, remind yourself that it is only ceramic cups in general of which you are fond. Then, if it breaks, you will not be disturbed. If you kiss your child, or your wife, say that you only kiss things which are human, and thus you will not be disturbed if either of them dies.

The overall approach to life reminds me a lot of Eastern philosophy's non-striving which I've found to be practical and beneficial. I think Epictetus captures well the balance between a complete lack of ambition and allowing ambition and materialism to consume you. (less)

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May 07, 2008 Curtiss rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: philosophy

I first heard Epictetus quoted after the incident in which the cruiser U.S.S. Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner in 1990, during a period of tension in the Persian Gulf (what else?).

A friend and I were discussing the ramifications and liabilty of the Vincennes's Captain, when a gentleman at the next table said that he knew of an apt quote which he often used in court when a case was going against him and the opposing counsel was roundly denouncing him in front of the judge. He would stand a...more

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Feb 16, 2008 Seri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You just can't beat the stoics! There is so much wisdom packed into every little aphorism. Such as:

"Remember that you are an actor in a play, which is as the playwright wants it to be: short if he wants it short, long if he wants it long. If he wants you to play a beggar, play even this part skillfully, or a cripple, or a public official, or a private citizen. What is yours is to play the assigned part well. But to choose it belongs to someone else."

Epictetus was a slave through his youth, turne...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Ken Moten rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Ken by: Peter Adamson

Shelves: philosophy-stuff, non-fiction-stuff

"If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, "He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone."

This philosophical text is a collection of 52 quotes or sayings or advice by Epictetus. It has been collected by one of his students and is presented as almost a proto-handbook style format.

This hand book is a wealth of good information and I feel I was very impressed with it overall. Some of th...more

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Aug 11, 2012 G.d. Brennan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For a small book, "Enchiridion" packs a huge punch.

The trappings of life may have changed immensely since Epictetus's time, but human nature remains essentialy the same. We still all too frequently get worked up over things we cannot control, or throw our hands in the air and refuse to make changes which are plainly within our ability. This book, then, reminds us of the futility of those behaviors and the necessity, instead, for some clear-eyed realizations.

Its lessons are simple but effective:...more For a small book, "Enchiridion" packs a huge punch.

The trappings of life may have changed immensely since Epictetus's time, but human nature remains essentialy the same. We still all too frequently get worked up over things we cannot control, or throw our hands in the air and refuse to make changes which are plainly within our ability. This book, then, reminds us of the futility of those behaviors and the necessity, instead, for some clear-eyed realizations.

Its lessons are simple but effective: some things are within our control, and some things aren't. It is foolish to get worked up over things which aren't in our control. Usually we aren't disturbed by events, but by our opinion of those events.

Taken together, these and other simple lessons offer a path to serenity and peace of mind at odds with, but far more pleasant than, the myriad anxieties of modern life. As a Christian, I found it perfectly complemented Jesus' Sermon on the Mount teachings about avoiding worry and retaliation. (I happened to read it while going through a career transition, and what could have been a turbulent and traumatic experience instead went rather smoothly, without the bitterness and hard feelings one might have expected.) Still, I think people from all belief systems will find themselves richly rewarded by its teachings.

This particular translation has its merits and quirks. Personally, I liked the rather brief introduction and the relative paucity of supplementary materials. Great books should stand or fall on their own merits, rather than on the blovating opinions of modern-day commentators. On the other hand, I didn't enjoy the translator's parenthetical explanations of words and phrases peppered throughout the text. They disrupted the flow of the reading and weren't always terribly necessary.

Still, I can't complain, for this book appeared at exactly the right time in my life, and it came with the exact advice I needed. If, like me, you frequently think you know everything, pick it up, and learn something. (less)

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Apr 06, 2012 Alnoory. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Art of Living is not a direct translation of Epictetus’ philosophy. Rather, it's an “interpretation” drawn by Sharon Lebell from readings of The Discourses of Epictetus and Enchiridion. Each page has a heading like “Know What You Can Control and What You Can't” and “Be Careful About the Company You Keep,” which is followed by a page or two (and sometimes as few as two or three sentences) expounding upon the header in a calm, easy dialogue.

I was talking with Mom about the way (some) people we...more The Art of Living is not a direct translation of Epictetus’ philosophy. Rather, it's an “interpretation” drawn by Sharon Lebell from readings of The Discourses of Epictetus and Enchiridion. Each page has a heading like “Know What You Can Control and What You Can't” and “Be Careful About the Company You Keep,” which is followed by a page or two (and sometimes as few as two or three sentences) expounding upon the header in a calm, easy dialogue.

I was talking with Mom about the way (some) people wear their passion as a protective coat that they believe gives them permission to react as cruelly as they please, as often as they please, because after all, “they are passionate.”

I don't see passion as an excuse to be unkind or reactive. I see it as a bit of a handicap. Because it is natural for a romantic mind to sweep to judgment, to cry with suddenness, to feel swiftly whatever springs to the surface and release it.

Sometimes his heavy emotion can be a blessing too. We feel everything intensely. That means sadness, anger, but most exceptionally, joy. Just the same, as much as a perfectly Stoic person could do with a bit of passion now and then, an entirely emotional person could certainly be tempered by a visit with a Greek thinker like Epictetus, who calmly and rationally philosophized the benefits of emotional management.

He encouraged a laugh, but never at the expense of others, and suggested that the only way to have true freedom is to center one's every aim inward. Not meaning that we should ignore family and friends. No, actually Epictetus suggests that filial responsibility should never be shunned. That one's duty to true friends, to family and to one's country is priceless, and that one should always be on the watch for how his or her behaviour affects the people in his vicinity. One should be kind and forgiving, of others, and of oneself.

But Epictetus also encourages people to be choosy about the friends he or she keeps, and not to allow the petty views of the outside world to have any influence at all on the sacred place within. He says that a virtuous person who is living for himself and God may not fit in with the sweeping fads of society and indeed, that if he doesn't fit in, this serves as evidence that he is virtuous. Because a lot of the crowd blindly follows fads and worries more about appearance than nurturing the inner self and being true to the standards of virtue.

Stoicism was sort of the unofficial religion of the Roman world for a while (or so I've read.)It is a school of philosophy that teaches one to detach oneself from emotions so that truth can be derived from reason.

Basically, Epictetus believed that all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control, but that we can choose to accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately.(less)

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Nov 06, 2011 Jacobi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

As much a classic work of philosophy, as it is a treatise on how to live (as a stoic), the Enchiridion is dope. Because this is essentially a list of rules that is the length of an extended essay, I'll be rereading it (probably multiple times) to digest it further. Sure, there are some principles I don't subscribe to, but there is a lot of good stuff in this to mull over.

I think it's interesting that something that was written more than 1,880 years ago can still be applicable to life today, as...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Jake Adelstein rated it 5 of 5 stars

No man is free who is not master of himself. -Epictetus
It's something worth remembering on the 4th of July. Independence Day.

"Forgive Over and Over and Over.""Never suppress a generous impulse." One of the greatest books of philosophy I've ever read. It is more of a reinterpretation of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus than a straight academic translation but it wonderfully conveys the wisdom of a a great philosopher who was born a slave. If you ever find yourself at a point in your life when eve...more No man is free who is not master of himself. -Epictetus
It's something worth remembering on the 4th of July. Independence Day.

"Forgive Over and Over and Over.""Never suppress a generous impulse." One of the greatest books of philosophy I've ever read. It is more of a reinterpretation of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus than a straight academic translation but it wonderfully conveys the wisdom of a a great philosopher who was born a slave. If you ever find yourself at a point in your life when everything is out of your control, this book is wonderfully soothing. We can't control all the events in our lives, but we can choose how we react to them. Sometimes, that's the only freedom we have left.

This was my favorite passage in the entire book. I've pondered it often. Of course, there are some people it's very hard to forgive. Usually when they try to have you killed it does put a strain on one's generosity but in ordinary circumstances sound advice.

FORIVE OVER AND OVER AND OVER
Generally, we're all doing the best we can.
When someone speaks to you curtly, disregards what you say, performs what seems to be a thoughtless gesture or even an outright evil act, think to yourself, "If I were that person and had endured the same trials, borne the same heartbreaks, had the same parents, and so on, I probably would have done or said the same thing." We are not privy to the stories behind people's actions, so we should be patient with others and suspend our judgment of them, recognizing the limits of our understanding. It does not mean we condone evil deeds or endorse the idea that different actions carry the same moral weight.
When people do not act as you would wish them to, exercise the muscles of your good nature by shrugging your shoulders and saying to yourself "Oh well." Then let the incident go.
Try, also, to be as kind to yourself as possible. Do not measure yourself against others or even against your ideal self. Human betterment is a gradual, two-steps-forward, one-step-back effort.
Forgive others for their misdeeds over and over again. This gesture fosters inner peace. Forgive yourself over and over and over again. Then try to do better next the time.

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Oct 31, 2010 Kathleen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked it, and it drove me crazy, and I liked it, and it drove me crazy, I liked it...

To quote Lebell (who is interpreting Epictetus):

"This is our predicament. Over and over again, we lose sight of what is important and what isn't.

"We crave things over which we have no control, and are not satisfied by the things within our control.

"We need to regularly stop and take stock.... Even the most confusing or hurtful aspects of life can be made more tolerable by clear seeing and by choice."

I blogged...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Tyler Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy

This is the first time I have read Epictetus, or any work of stoic philosophy for that matter, so if you are looking for an expert opinion you might want to look elsewhere. If, however, you are interested in reading Epictetus for the first time yourself then my little review might be of some use.

I was impressed by the degree to which the thoughts expressed in this book could be applied in modern daily life. Epictetus believed that for philosophy to have any real value it had to be put into actio...more This is the first time I have read Epictetus, or any work of stoic philosophy for that matter, so if you are looking for an expert opinion you might want to look elsewhere. If, however, you are interested in reading Epictetus for the first time yourself then my little review might be of some use.

I was impressed by the degree to which the thoughts expressed in this book could be applied in modern daily life. Epictetus believed that for philosophy to have any real value it had to be put into action to create a more noble life for its practitioner. His unrelenting insistence on the practical application of philosophy should be refreshing to contemporary readers who have come to regard philosophy as more of a way of understanding the world than a way of living in it. I came to the book with the notion that Stoicism meant acceptance of the world, and while Epictetus does preach acceptance of those things over which we have no control, he also emphasises the importance of doing the best we can in those areas in which we do have control. It is a very practical book, particularly for people like me who will stew for hours about the moron who cut me off in traffic.

I do have a few reservations. One the one hand Epictetus cautions against us attaching values to actions or events, but would have us understand that these thing are simply what they are. We should not say they are either good nor evil. Yet he also believes that "things happen for a reason" and that reason seems to be part of the plan of a universal force - in other words events do have a moral component. This seems to be a contradiction of his earlier "events have no meaning outside of themselves" ascertation. It also smacks uncomfortably of "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds."

I also found the translation by Sharon Lebell jarring at times. While I appreciate the difficulty in making an 1800 year old text accessible to modern readers, I got the distinct impression that I was reading a "Good News Bible" version of Epictetus. Did she really need to put the words "don't be the class clown" in his mouth? The inclusion of many modern phrases was intrusive.

Still, as an introduction to both Epictetus and stoic philosophy, I believe this book is a great place to start.
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Sep 02, 2012 Ramón Pérez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-and-philosophy

Entré en contacto con Epicteto y la filosofía estoica durante la carrera. Epicteto es, junto con Marco Aurelio (otro filósofo que acabó siendo Emperador de Roma) y Séneca, uno de los adalides de este movimiento. Y la filosofía estoica es una de las bases de la moderna psicología cognitiva, que es la que yo practico.

Es un libro este al que me he vuelto muchas veces, sobre todo en momentos de dificultad. Cuando a mi alrededor las cosas no van bien, cuando estoy perdido o confuso, repasar este libr...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Lady Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this book. Practical age-tested wisdom. One of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Some things are in our control and others are not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions. Things in our control are by nature free, unrestrained, unhindered; but those not in our control are weak, slavish, restrained, belon...more

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May 07, 2008 Ike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Ike by: Alen

"You can only be one person- either a good person or a bad person. You have two essential choices. Either you can set yourself to developing your reason, cleaving the truth, or you can hanker for externals. The choice is yours and yours alone. You can either put your skills toward internal work or lose yourself to externals, which is to say, be a person of wisdom or follow the common ways of the mediocre."

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May 14, 2013 Wendy Galliart Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This pretty little book caught my eye in the bookstore one day and make its way home with me, and I'm glad it did. Turns out I'm a stoic - who knew? I'm not a scholar of philosophy, but from my point of view this little volume did a a great job of laying out the simple beauty of the stoic philosophy.

The message seems to be: Accept life as it comes; accept reality instead of fighting against it. After you've stopped wasting your energy fighting that losing battle you will be empowered to make pos...more

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Feb 28, 2009 Luis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Epictetus was a model human being, who went from slave to enlightened man. Like all great personalities of history, he never wrote anything and what we know of him and his teachings was written by his pupils and followers. This is a short, straight to the point manual on how to live a virtuous life. The beginning of happiness, asserts Epictetus, is in not fretting about the things we cannot control. We have to not so much talk about virtuous acts as to behave virtuously. As Gandhi said “Be the c...more

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Mar 06, 2012 David S. T. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, philosophy, antiquity, read-in-2012

I grew up reading lots of Paul in the new testament, he always talked about having joy and acceptance in any circumstance due to a faith in Jesus. The stoics seem to have a similar philosophy (or more correctly Paul's was like theirs), a life view where you accept whatever happens and not let it affect you. This handbook of Epicteus is a short collection of some of his saying collected after his death. This edition appears to be collected from a public domain translation and it suffers a little...more

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Sep 12, 2008 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Daniel by: amazon.com, actually.

Not the best translation ever. Definitely not the first book I would read if I was interested in Stoicism, either. Everyone seems to prefer Marcus Aurelius, but I think Seneca was the better philosopher and the better writer.

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Oct 10, 2012 Galicius rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, greek

The basis of Stoic truth is to distinguish between what is and what is not in our power to change. We can control our thinking and our actions but now our environment, wealth, health, others’ opinions of our, death.

Epictetus tells us that when we are about to encounter an experience that worries us that we will find it unpleasant what we need to do is think about what it will be like and to prepare ourselves for it. What upsets people, says Epictetus, are not things but are judgments about them....more

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Jun 08, 2008 JB rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There were two great Stoic philosophers in antiquity. Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus. Epictetus was a slave. Marcus Aurelius was an emperor. This is an excellent handbook for hard times.

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Oct 29, 2012 Bill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mind-body, nonfiction

I thought this might be a good first choice (of a primacy source of Stoic philosophy) to read after finishing Donald Robertson's excellent book on Stoicism and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Nicholas White's translation of the Handbook was enjoyable and brief (the length was the main reason I chose it), but I don't know if it was such a great work. The handbook was compiled by one of Epictetus's students, and it doesn't seem to follow any kind of logical organization or development. There is plen...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Velozeto rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Epicteto fue un filósofo estoico griego, cuya bío está aquí: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicteto

Habla sobre la voluntad, la firmeza, la virtud, la importancia de discernir lo que podemos controlar de lo que está fuera de nuestro control (sólo de lo primero deberíamos preocuparnos), la trascendencia de encontrar razonadamente un camino y perseverar en él.

El libro es muy corto, pero tiene alguna frase mítica. Está bien, por ejemplo, para mandar el twitter a tomar por culo un rato en días irritan...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Laura Leaney rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've owned this book for fifteen years, and every once in a while I am compelled to pull it from the shelf on my bookcase devoted to pagan philosophers in order to remind myself to get a grip on my kvetching.

This slender book is not a translation of Epictetus, so one must be careful. Instead, the author summarizes the philosopher's key ideas. But his ideas make so much clear sense that no matter your religious affiliation, understanding stoicism will strengthen your character. IF you can implem...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Mikayla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read the 1956 translation by Russell Kirk. The book itself is great. Kirk's footnotes, on the other hand, are the worst set of footnotes I have ever come across. Footnotes included "See Schweighaeuser's note" (located in a different book), "See the text" (if I could read the Greek text, I wouldn't be wasting my time on an English translation), and a quote from Galatians 1:10, which has something to do with an otherwise unidentified Mrs. Carter ("14. 'If I yet pleased men, I should not be the s...more

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May 11, 2012 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars

I keep this book by my bed and I try to remember to read a page or two as often as I can. It has done more to make me feel like I might just figure out what I'm supposed to learn in this lifetime than any other book or event in my life.

It took me a few years to realize how profoundly this book had affected me. I actually have a workbook where I went through many of (what I thought were) the most important lessons of the book, and tried to apply them to my life.

I've often wondered if I could sub...more

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Jul 11, 2011 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My favorite book of the last 24 months, compiled from the teachings of the Roman philosopher Epictetus. Roman (and Greek) stoicism is the most important concept I've ever encountered. This particular book was compiled by a student of Epictetus (a former slave in the 2nd century who led and refined the stoic tradition), originally called the "Enchiridion" (the "Handbook") and titled "The Art of Living" in this publisher's edition - which is, I guess, what it is. Marcus Aurelius (known as "the las...more

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Jun 30, 2010 Bob Nichols rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Favorable commentary on Epictetus lodges this collection of sayings within a wider, deeper Stoic philosophy. In a nutshell, the cosmos operates by natural law that is beyond our control. Things in the cosmos are transitory and permanent attachment is not possible. The task for the Stoic philosopher, such as Epictetus, is to focus only on those actions that are within one's power to control and to act without attachment. This is the law of the cosmos that we know through our rationality, which be...more Favorable commentary on Epictetus lodges this collection of sayings within a wider, deeper Stoic philosophy. In a nutshell, the cosmos operates by natural law that is beyond our control. Things in the cosmos are transitory and permanent attachment is not possible. The task for the Stoic philosopher, such as Epictetus, is to focus only on those actions that are within one's power to control and to act without attachment. This is the law of the cosmos that we know through our rationality, which becomes the guide for our actions and the source of our wisdom. Cultivation of reason and cultivation of actions that are in accord with the law of the cosmos is, therefore, the path to personal happiness.

The problem with this approach is apparent in this sample of Epictetus' philosophy. First, his widely regarded practical philosophy leans heavily on social manners and making a good impression ("let not your laughter be much...nor excessive.") The self thereby adjusts to external standards, but this conformity leads to the loss of individuality. Second, and similarly, truth is secondary to keeping peace with others ("defer to opinions of superiors" and "agree with equals...to avoid quarrelsomeness".) Third, in accentuating the highest human virtue, reason, our animal emotions are not just to be controlled, but denied (We should punish our appetites;we should not suffer mentally with another; and we should accept death of a loved one as part of the order of things). Self-denial and cutting off feelings toward another or toward ourselves may be denying a deeper essence to our humanity and may not be conducive to our psychological health. Fourth, his philosophy leads to a slave mentality. Imposition on the self is accepted because it's the order of things. Resignation and acceptance not active resistance is the advice of Epictetus. Fifth, he has an uneasy relationship with things of the world. One can desire, but not desire too much. Reason puts the break on attachment. What this says about love - and holding oneself back - is one concern. But, importantly, an obvious question is why should the self not want what the self wants? Intuitively, we sense a contradiction here that makes his philosophical advice unconvincing.

What is missing in Epictetus is an acceptance of a vigorous circuit of energy between the self and the world. Epictetus either holds the self back from the world or merges the self too much with it. He appropriately tells us that we have two things in our power: Our movement toward the world (desire) and our movement away from the world (aversion). This means the self is free to engage that world and to resist that world when it imposes on the self. The imposition of others on the self denies the self's freedom to pursue objects of desire and, therefore, the self's power to control its own destiny. Likewise, to impose the self on others is to deny their freedom. Reason, combined with socially imposed controls, keeps self and other in balance. Individuality is compatible with order. It's o.k. to seek objects of desire. Self-denial is counter to our desiring nature and denial of our feelings denies us of what is real inside and denies us of our humanity. The restraint on our desire comes from a recognition that it must not come at the expense of the other. There's an implicit social contract that lies at the heart of the self-other relationship. This circuit of energy between the self and the world is an active and reciprocal relationship, and it also reflects nature's law. (less)

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Apr 15, 2010 Billie Pritchett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have always enjoyed this book. Epictetus was a former Roman slave, and he became one of the leading advocates for Stoicism. Not only is the book direct in its instruction on how to live a better life, it has almost none of the religious baggage that, say, a work like Marcus Aurelius' Meditations has. In general, I think it is a decent framework for how to live a meaningful life. Epictetus advises that what should be of primary importance to every person are those aspects of one's life that all...more

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Jul 26, 2008 Kathryne rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Easy read. Great wisdom. For instance: "Follow through on all your generous impulses. Do not question them, especially if a friend needs you; act on his or her behalf. Do not hesitate! Do not sit around speculating about the possible inconvenience, problems or dangers. As long as you let your reason lead the way, you will be safe. It is our duty to stand by our friends in their hour of need."

One other very different but solid word of wisdom from so many in this book:

"When we name things correctl...more

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Jul 20, 2009 Vanja Antonijevic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reading Epictetus (not to be confused with Epicerus) was one of the most fun philosophical journeys I have taken.

First a very brief summary of the stoic belief (Epictetus was a stoic) would be appropriate. The rough and simplified version is as follows:

1. Suffering/pain is bad
2. One should relieve bad things (such as suffering/pain) whenever it is in one's control
3. (a) Beliefs are in our control, and they lead to (b) attitudes, feelings, and emotions, which in turn are the (c) primary cause...more

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Apr 29, 2013 John Farr rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is Epictetus re-packaged for modern readers that may not be used to reading philosophy or who simply want a quick introduction to Stoic philosophy.

Lebell's re-packaging of Epictetus is a quick read, and does an excellent job of distilling the main ideas of stoicism, such as not worrying about what one cannot change, the importance of maintaining inner tranquility, and so on.

I only give it 4 stars rather than 5 because it is a bit thin in some areas. For example, although Epictetus reminds...more

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About Epictetus

Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was probably born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey), and lived in Rome until his exile to Nicopolis in northwestern Greece, where he lived most of his life and died. His teachings were noted down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses. Philosophy, he taught, is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline....more

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Enchiridion and Selections from the Discourses of Epictetus

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Quotes from The Art of Living: The...

“Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents." Translation by Sharon Lebell” — 114 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24618.The_Art_of_Living?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1167540937l/24618.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24618.The_Art_of_Living?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus[/url]

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

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