Epictetus
50–135 AD · Greek (born enslaved)
About Epictetus
Epictetus was born into slavery and rose to become one of the most influential Stoic philosophers. His teachings, recorded by his student Arrian in the Discourses and the Enchiridion, centre on the distinction between what is within our control and what is not. For Epictetus, meaning is found not in external circumstances but in our response to them. His philosophy of radical acceptance and inner freedom has inspired figures from Marcus Aurelius to modern cognitive-behavioural therapists.
Quotes by Epictetus
"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."
"Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems."
"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do."
"Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control."
"No man is free who is not master of himself."