Epictetus in my Life

Once again the handbook of Epictetus reminds me a lot about my life. I can basically relate anything he talks about to my life. One of the things I read in the sections 16 - 30 that created mixed feelings and reminded me about my mother was in the 16th section.  Epictetus said not to grieve about the departure of a child or the loss of land. I say that it created mixed feelings because my mother always tells me and my brothers that we are growing up fast and she doesn't know what she is going to do when we leave. In ways this makes me laugh  because I always tell her not to worry about that. However,  in other ways this makes me sad because of the idea of my mother crying about me, and reading that she shouldn't do that.

Another very interesting part of this section was the part when the author compared humans to actors and life to a play: "Remember that you are an actor in a play, which is as the playwright wants it to be: short if he wants it short, long if he wants it long." (p. 16) I believe that here Epictetus is trying to say that humans are at the compassion of a superior force. I believe I know exactly what he is talking about because last year I was in the play The Sound of Music, and as an actor I had to do exactly as the director told me to. Now the only question is: Is Epictetus right? Are humans really at the mercy of a superior God?

One of the best lessons for life is told in section 29: "For each action, consider what leads up to it and what follows it, and approach it in the light of that." I have heard this many times in my life. In school, at home from my father, and everywhere in general. It is not an easy task to follow, but I believe Epictetus is right. If only everyone followed this advise in the world I suppose it would become a utopia because no one would do bad things, everyone would think before time and realize they shouldn't do that.