Epictetus represents a myriad of concepts. One concept of which being that one should live with the awareness of human imperfection and finitude. He expresses the sentiment that one is able to relinquish the feelings of disrespect and desire by allowing all that is ill-fated to appear before one's eyes each day. Epictetus states, "Let death and exile and everything that is terrible appear before your eyes every day, especially death; and you will never have anything contemptible in your thoughts or crave anything excessively" (XXI). It is important that we are attentive to the fact that there is much unhappiness and despair in this world. If we do not expose ourselves to such matters, these things will consume us.

Be silent for the most part, or say what you have to in a few words...Divert by your own talk, if you can, the talk of those with you to something appropriate. If you happen to be stranded among strangers, do not talk...If someone reports back to you that so-and-so is saying bad things about you, do not reply to them but answer, 'Obviously he didn't know my other bad characteristics, since otherwise he wouldn't just have mentioned these'...wish to have happen only what does happen, and for the person to win who actually does win, since that way you will not be thwarted. (XXXIII)

Epictetus directs one to see the stability in leading a frugal life. Perhaps one may be lead to believe that Epictetus is contradicting himself in some instances. As it is easy to see that he says, talk with few words, and then continues to mention that one must change an inappropriate subject by diverting your own talk. However, the best way to consider this is to realize that every circumstance is different, and to each, one must adapt appropriately. He is simply stating that it is essential for one to establish a certain disposition to be used when they are unaccompanied or surrounded by people.

It is also critical for one to regard that it is only their judgment about things that make them bad, and not the things themselves. This represents courage and self-reliance. Epictetus employs death to depict his point in this passage, "Death is nothing dreadful (or else it would have appeared dreadful to Socrates), but instead the judgment about death that it is dreadful-that is what is dreadful" (V). As was discussed in lecture, men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which

Some common words found in the essay are:
Epictetus' Enchiridion, XXXIII Epictetus, Epictetus' View, person accuses, human imperfection, accuses neither, law guides virtue, educated person accuses, guides virtue consists, educated person, neither nor, law guides, today's society, own talk, guides virtue, virtue consists,
Approximate Word count = 1133
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)