“Epictetus says we must discover the missing art of assent and pay special attention to the sphere of our impulses — that they are subject to reservation, to the common good, and that they are in proportion to actual worth.”
- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.37
April 19, 2021 7:00 AM
A powerful Roman emperor quotes the words of a former slave. Both the powerful and the powerless examining the importance of checking our impulses.
Conclusion
We may never experience absolute power, but feeling powerless is likely something we will all experience. Epictetus would have known this feeling most of his life. Each situation requires we examine the subject and avoid knee-jerk reactions.