“There are three areas in which the person who would be wise and good must be trained. The first has to do with desires and aversions - that a person may never miss the mark in desires nor fall into what repels them. The second has to do with impulses to act and not to act - and more broadly, with duty - that a person may act deliberately for good reasons and not carelessly. The third has to do with freedom from deception and composure and the whole area of judgment, the assent our mind gives to its perceptions. Of these areas, the chief and most urgent is the first which has to do with the passions, for strong emotions arise only when we fail in our desires and aversions.”
- Epictetus, Discourses, 3.2.1-3a
January 27, 2021 7:00 AM
Epictetus outlines three areas of training for us. First to reflect on what we set our hearts on and to the contrary. The second is to examine what we want to act upon (our motivations). Lastly, we contemplate our reasoning.
Conclusion
These are three individual areas of training, but at the same time, they are coiled and interlaced with each other. Desires influence our motivations, with motivations affect our belief and judgment swaying our desires. We should examine these three areas distinctly, putting purposeful thought and energy into each space. The result in our reasoned efforts should be clarity and happiness.