“Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.”
— Epictetus, Discourses
What It Really Means
Most people think freedom means doing whatever you want. Epictetus disagrees.
To him, true freedom isn’t about external choice — it’s about internal control.
You are free not when life bends to your will, but when you stop being bent out of shape by things outside your will.
Status. Opinions. Weather. Luck.
You don’t control them — so stop letting them control you.
Freedom starts when you stop reacting to everything you can’t change.
How the Book Explains It
In Discourses, Epictetus — once a slave, later a Stoic teacher — insists that freedom is an inside job.
He teaches that your thoughts, choices, and judgments are yours. Everything else is borrowed.
Once you let go of needing to control everything, life becomes simpler — and strangely, more powerful.
This isn’t passive acceptance. It’s active discipline.
Real-Life Application
Think about your stress today.
• Are you upset by someone’s opinion?
• Frustrated by traffic, delays, outcomes?
Ask:
✅ Did I choose this?
✅ Can I change it?
If not — let it go. That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.
Choose to rule your mind instead of being ruled by the world.
Companion Idea
This quote pairs beautifully with The Courage to Be Disliked and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck*. Each calls us to reclaim attention and energy from what doesn’t matter — and root our power in what does.
Your Turn
What’s one thing you’re holding onto that isn’t yours to control?
Let it go.
Claim your space.
That’s how freedom begins.
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