Page:Discourses of Epictetus volume 2 Oldfather 1928.djvu/481



You are a little soul, carrying around a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.

We must discover, said he, an art that deals with assent, and in the sphere of the choices we must be careful to maintain close attention, that they be made with due reservations, that they be social, and that they be according to merit; and from desire we must refrain altogether, and must exercise aversion towards none of the things that are not under our control.

It is no ordinary matter that is at stake, said he, but it is a question of either madness or sanity.

Socrates used to say, "What do you want? To have souls of rational or irrational animals?" "Of rational animals." "Of what kind of rational animals? Sound or vicious?" "Sound." "Why, then, do you not try to get them?" "Because we have them." "Why, then, do you strive and quarrel?"

"Me miserable, that this has befallen me!" Say not so, but rather, "Fortunate that I am, because, 471