How I’m Using Epictetus’ “The Enchiridion” to Get Through the Pandemic (So Far)
And I’d advise anyone to do so too.
I’ve tried explaining this to my brother and he didn’t understand it. But I don’t let that get to me, because that is the core of Stoicism, the ancient philosophical practice of focusing on what you can control and not caring for what you can’t. What’s it to me if my brother doesn’t understand how or why I came to be O.K. with someone’s choice to be unvaccinated, or if someone in our family dies? This whole pandemic is out of my control, and the only thing I can control about it is what I do during it.
During the pandemic, I started reading a beautiful translation of Epictetus’ The Enchiridion. It was then that a quote struck out to me (well, actually, many of them). Utilizing a combination of Epictetus’s wisdom, the snippets which I can currently understand, has gotten me to be O.K. with the possibility of losing my mom, or the fact that I don’t have a stable job. It’s made me O.K. with the prospect that many of my family members, those already suffering with underlying chronic diseases, might also perish.
Of course this is easier for me to say since I am not facing homelessness. I do not have a family to support. And I am not drowning under medical bills. But given my own situation, I have refused to let COVID-19 rule my life or bring about tireless fear.
The Quotes By Epictetus That Have Helped Me
4. If you are going to bathe, picture to yourself the things which usually happen in the bath: some people splash the water, some push, some use abusive language, and others steal. Thus you will more safely go about this action if you say to yourself, “I will now go bathe, and keep my own mind in a state conformable to nature.”
This quote meant I had to look at the possibilities in my life due to the pandemic. The pandemic was the bath I was going to take, and the manner in which people could act in this bath stood for what could happen during the pandemic. Firstly, I had to face the real proposition that people I love might die (myself included). Secondly, I had to realize the ramifications of this. This meant I could possibly be left with a mortgage to pay and would have to help carry out people’s wills. Maybe there would be court battles over possessions. Most of all I would have to fend for myself in this world sooner than I had previously expected. But ultimately, my only job is to make sure my mind stays in a state conformable to nature if these chances occur, meaning I should refuse to cower whenever the responsibilities of life call on me.
14. If you wish your children, and your wife, and your friends to live for ever, you are stupid; for you wish to be in control of things which you cannot, you wish for things that belong to others to be your own.
There is more to this quote, but I found this segment to be the most pertinent because it is a classic, undeniable fact. Death is inevitable. And if I expect to live as long as I possibly can, that obviously means most likely watching the elders in my family die. So I have thought about, imagined, and mentally prepared for (as best as I could) until I reached the point of acceptance. What if the my siblings and parents die before I do? I’m sure there is no way to completely prepare yourself for this, and it will hurt no matter what, but at least I have confronted the real likelihood of it.
10. With every accident, ask yourself what abilities you have for making a proper use of it. If you see an attractive person, you will find that self-restraint is the ability you have against your desire. If you are in pain, you will find fortitude. If you hear unpleasant language, you will find patience. And thus habituated, the appearances of things will not hurry you away along with them.
During the pandemic I still managed to land a job across the country and I was excited to use my degree in my chosen field, but life had other plans. Instead I came back to my hometown to help my sister in special education with online distance learning. I do not regret my decision to ultimately turn down a job. I do not fret that I haven’t had a real job in almost a year. I do not worry much that soon I will have no medical insurance and I don’t know how long I will still be living with my mom. Instead, I’m making the most of my circumstances, and I am almost always preoccupied with how I want to improve myself. I don’t even know what my ideal future will look like, and I’m O.K. with that too, because I’m more concerned about how I want my future self to look like.
15. Remember that you must behave in life as at a dinner party. Is anything brought around to you? Put out your hand and take your share with moderation. Does it pass by you? Don’t stop it. Is it not yet come? Don’t stretch your desire towards it, but wait till it reaches you. Do this with regard to children, to a wife, to public posts, to riches, and you will eventually be a worthy partner of the feasts of the gods. And if you don’t even take the things which are set before you, but are able even to reject them, then you will not only be a partner at the feasts of the gods, but also of their empire.
This last quote took me quite a number of rereads to understand, but I believe I finally understand what Epictetus was trying to tell us: practice patience, moderation, and self-discipline. Our time for certain things will come. And nowadays it’s hard to practice patience, moderation, and discipline in a world with so much instant gratification lying around. Patience, moderation, and self-discipline are concepts I have struggled with all my life. I rushed through many worthwhile experiences that should have meant more to me than merely checking off a to-do list: loosing my virginity, my first drink, my first relationship. And I can also be hedonistic by overindulging in food and sleep. So this quote is quite poignant to me, reminding me that beyond what concerns the pandemic, I have a lot of maturing to do. And I actually want to be a person who is patient and thorough in thought and action.
What “The Enchiridion” Taught me
“The Enchiridion” reintroduced me to concepts I was aware of as a child, but ultimately lost through the process of societal molding. I learned that no matter the circumstances, no matter what people around me are doing, I always have the choice to do what I know to be morally correct. It is teaching me that there are no excuses; no matter what I have the potential to derive an advantage out of any situation. Lastly, life will happen, so I might as well not be a coward about it and think about the worst possible scenario that can play out. After doing so, then maybe I can be O.K. and move on with my life.
I hope you can take a look at some classic philosophical wisdom and see how it applies to your life and psyche.
*You can read “The Enchiridion” for free online here. It’s a great beginner to classic Stoicism. “The Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius is also a great read (and much easier to understand). If you want Stoicism in your mailbox, check out The Daily Stoic. I read it when I read it and it’s pretty great.
