Week 5 · western

Epictetus

Epictetus was born a slave. His master once twisted his leg so badly it broke, and Epictetus reportedly said, while it was happening, "You're going to break it." When it snapped, he said, "I told you so." Whether or not that story is literally true, it tells you everything about the man. He built an entire philosophy around the one thing no owner could confiscate: his response.

“"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." He taught this from experience. A former slave telling free men that their chains were mental, not physical. He wasn't theorizing about adversity. He was the proof.”