Epictetus 의 'The Art of Living' 중,

"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible. (skip)

We always have a choice about the contents and character of our inner lives.

Desire and aversion, though powerful, are but habits. And we can train ourselves to have better habits. Restrain the habit of being repelled by all those things that aren't within your control, and focus instead on combating things within your power that are not good for you.

Do your best rein in your desire. For if you desire something that isn't within your own control, disappointment will surely follow;

Open your eyes: (skip)

Think about what delights you - the tools on which you depend, the people whom you cherish.

Things and people are not what we wish them to be nor what they seem to be. They are what they are.

It is our attitudes and reactions that give us trouble.

Therefore even death is no big deal in and of itself. It is our notion of death, our idea that it is terrible, that terrifies us. (skip)

We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.

Never depend on the admiration of others. There is no strength in it. (skip)

Create your own merit. (skip)

Get to it right now, do your best at it, and don't be concerned with wo is watching you.

There is a time and place for diversion and amusements, but you should never allow them to override your true purpose. (skip) Keep your attention directed at the ship. Getting distracted by trifles is the easiest thing in the world. Should the captain call, you must be ready to leave those distractions and come running, without even looking back.

Nothing truly stops you. Nothing truly holds you back. For your own will is always withing your control.

Sickness my challenge your body. But ar you merely your body? Lameness may impede your legs. But are you merely your legs. Your will is bigger than your legs.

Every difficulty in life presents us with an opportunity to turn inward and to invoke our own submerged inner resources. (skip)

On the occasion of an accidental event, don't just react in a haphazard fashion: (skip) Dig deeply. You possess strengths you might not realize you have. Find the right one. Use it. (skip)

Ass time goes by and you build on the habit of matching the appropriate inner resource to each incident, you will not tend to get carried away by life's appearances.

The important thing is to take great care with what you have while the world lets you have it, just as a traveler takes care of a room at an inn.

The surest sign of the highest life is serenity. (skip)

refrain from such common patterns of thinking as these: "If I don't work harder, I'll never earn a decent living, no one will recognize me, I'll be a nobody," or "If I don't criticize my employee, he'll take advantage of my good will." (skip)

When you call your child, be prepared that she may not respond to you, or if she does, she might not do what you want her to do.

Spiritual progress requires us to highlight what is essential and to disregard everything else as trivial pursuits unworthy of our attention. Moreover, it is actually a good thing to be thought to be foolish and simple with regard to matters that don't concern us. Don't be concerned with other people's impressions of you. They are dazzled and deluded by appearances. Stick with your purpose. This alone will strengthen your will and give your life coherence.

Refrain from tryring to win other people's approval and admiration You are taking a higher road. (skip) Be on your guard against a false sense of self-importance. (skip)

While you are absorbed in one, you will neglect the other.

it is foolish to wish that an employee, relative, or friend be without fault. (skip)

Freedom isn't the right or ability to do whatever you please. (skip) By accepting life's limits and inevitabilities and working with them rather than fighting them, we become free.

Think of your life as if it were a banquet where you would behave graciously. (skip) There is no need to yearn, envy, and grab. You will get your rightful portion when it is your time.

Other people's views and troubles can be contagious. Don't sabotage yourself by unwittingly adopting negative, unproductive attitudes through your association with others. (skip)

We do a better service for ourselves and others by detaching and avoiding melodramatic reactions.

Still, if you find yourself in conversation with someone is depressed, hurt, or frustrated, show them kindness and give them a sympathetic ear; just don't allow yourself to be pulled down too.

Whenever you find yourself and in whatever circumstances, give an impeccable performance.

As you think, as you become. Avoid superstitiously investing events with power or meanings they don't have. Keep your head.

Authentic happiness is always independent of external conditions. Vigilantly practice indifference to external conditions. Your happiness can only be found within. (skip)

Don't make the mistake of assuming that celebrities, public figures, political leaders, the wealthy, or people with great intellectual or artistic gifts are necessarily happy. To do so is to be bewildered by appearances and will only make you doubt yourself.

Instead of averting your eyes from the painful events of life, look at them squarely and contemplate them often. By facing the realities of death, infirmity, loss, and disappointment, you free yourself of illusions and false hopes and you avoid miserable, envious thoughts.

Hold to your true aspirations no matter what is going on around you.

Many people who have progressively lowered their personal standards in an attempt to win social acceptance and life's comforts bitterly resent those of philosophical bent who refuse to compromise their spiritual ideals and who seek to better themselves. Never live your life in reaction to these diminished souls. Be compassionate toward them, and at the same time hold to what you know is good.

In trying to please other people, (skip) In doing so we lose our hold on our life's purpose.

Content yourself with being a lover of wisdom, a seeker of the truth. (skip)

Do not try to seem wise to others.

If you want to live a wise life, live it on your own terms and in your own eyes.

You will never earn the same rewards as others without employing the same methods and investment of time as they do. It is unreasonable to think we can earn rewards without being willing to pay their true price.

Treasure your mind, cherish your reason, hold to your purpose.

Before you proceed, step back and look back the big picture, lest you act rashly on raw impulse. Determine what happens first, consider what that leads to, and then act in accordance with that you've learned.

When we act without circumspection, we might begin a task with great enthusiasm; then, when unforeseen or unwanted consequences follow, we shamefully retreat and are filled with regret: " I would have done this; I could have done that ; I should have done it differently." (skip)

then do enter the Games - wholeheartedly. (skip)

Think things thought and fully commit! (skip)

A half-hearted spirit has no power.

You are not isolated entity, but a unique, irreplaceable part of the cosmos. Don't forget this. You are an essential  piece of the puzzle of humanity.

Our hopes and fears sway us, not events themselves.

Follow through on all your generous impulses. Do not question them, especially if a friend needs you;(skip)

Don't sit around speculating about the possible inconvenience, problems, or dangers. As long as you let your reason lead the way, you will be safe.

It is our duty to stand by our friends in their hour of need.

When we blather about trivial things, we ourselves become trivial, for our attention gets taken up with trivialities. You become what you give attention to.

Be of good humor and enjoy a good laugh when it is apt, but avoid the kind of unrestrained barroom laughter that easily degenerates into vulgarity or malevolence. Laugh with, but never laugh at.

Be selective about whom you take on as friends, colleagues, and neighbors. All of these people can affect your destiny.

Respect your body's needs.

Only the morally weak feel compelled to defend or explain themselves to others. Let the quality of your deeds speak on your behalf.

No matter where you find yourself, comport yourself as if you were a distinguished person. (skip)

remain rooted in your own purposes and ideals.

Inculcate habit of deliberation.

Your possession should be proportionate to the needs of your body, just as the shoe fit the foot.

Without moral training, we can be induced to excess.

She may feel compelled to put great effort and time into enhancing her outer beauty and distorting her natural self to please others. (skip)

Those who seek wisdom come to understand that even though the world may reward us for wrong or superficial reasons, such as our physical appearance, the family we come from, and so on, what really matters is who we are inside and who we are becoming.

If people reach conclusions based on false impressions, they are the ones hurt rather than you, because it is they who are misguided.

If you want to develop your ability to live simply, do it for yourself, do it quietly, and don't do it to impress others.

Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. (skip)

Don't mind if others don't share your convictions. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer.

Put your principles into practice - now. Stop the excuses and the procrastination. This is your life! You aren't child anymore. The sooner you set yourself to your spiritual program, the happier you will be. The longer you wait, the more you will be vulnerable to mediocrity and feel filled with shame and regret, because you know you are capable of better.

From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself. Separate yourself from the mob. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do - now.

Philosophy's main task is to respond to the soul's cry; (skip)

Philosophy calls us when we've reached the end of our rope. (skip)

The secret is not to get stuck there dithering or wringing your hands, but to move forward by resolving to heal yourself. Philosophy asks us to move into courage.

The wisest among us appreciate the natural limits of our knowledge and have the mettle to preserve their naïveté. (skip) There is no such things as conclusive, once-and-for-all knowledge. (skip)

Arrogance is the banal mask for cowardice; (skip)

You keep running around in the same familiar circles; you get caught in the same sticky webs. Nothing novel or festive ever happens. (skip)

Look and Listen.

To do anything well you must have the humility to bumble around a bit, to follow your nose, to get lost, to goof. Have the courage to try an undertaking and possibly do it poorly. Unremarkable lives are marked by the fear of not looking capable when trying something new.

The morally trained, rather than resenting or dodging their current life situations and duties, give thanks for them and fully immerse themselves in their duties to their family, friends, neighbors, and jobs. (skip)

The overvaluation of money, status, and competition poisons our personal relations.

By steady but patient commitment to removing unsound beliefs from our souls, we become increasingly adept at seeing through our flimsy fears, our bewilderment in love, and our lack of self control. We stop trying to look good to others. One day, we contentedly realize we've stopped playing to the crowd.

Be suspicious of convention.

Take charge of your own thinking.

Rouse yourself from the daze of unexamined habit. (skip)

Conventional thinking (skip) Its job is to preserve the status quo for overly self-defended individuals and institutions. (skip)

Awaken and be vigilant. Take stock of your habits to preserve your higher standards. (skip)

Don't listen to what people say. Watch what they do and evaluate the attendant consequences.

Books are the training weights of the mind.

Just as when a dead coal contacts a live one, either the first will extinguish the last, or the last kindle the first. Great is the danger; so be circumspect on entering into personal associations,

be as kind to yourself as possible. Do not measure yourself against others or even against your ideal self. Human betterment is a gradual, two-steps-forward, one-step-back effort.

Forgive others for their misdeeds over and over again. This gesture fosters inner ease.

Forgive yourself over and over and over again. Then try to do better next time.

consistent, even when it isn't convenient, comfortable, or easy. (skip)

It's so simple really: If you say you're going to do something, do it. If you start something, finish it.

Goodness in and of itself is the practice and the reward.

Over and over again, we lose sight of what is important and what isn't. (skip)

We need to regularly stop and take stock; to sit down and determine within ourselves which things are worth valuing and which things are not; which risks are worth the cost and which are not.

Clear thinking is not a bloodless art.

The latest fashionable sage or book or diet or belief doesn't move you in the direction of a flourishing life. You do. Renounce externals once and for all.

Practice self-sufficiency. (skip) Become your own soul's doctor.

Stay the course, in good weather and bad.

Take care not to casually discuss matters that are of great importance to you with people who are not important to you. Your affairs will become drained of preciousness. (skip)

Let you ideas and plans incubate before you parade them in front of the naysayers and trivializes.

Caretake this moment. (skip)

It is time really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now. You are not some disinterested bystander. Participate. Exert yourself. (skip)

When you doors are shut and your room is dare, you are not alone. The will of nature is within you as your natural genius is within. (skip)

As concerns the art of living, the material is your own life. No great thing is created suddenly. There must be time.

Give your best and always be kind.

- 말해져야 할 모든 것이 이미 그에 의해서 말해졌다.
AD 55년 로마시대에 태어난 철학자 에픽테토스, 그는 노예로 태어나 뛰어난 지적자질을 주인으로부터 인정받아 스토아 철학자로부터 교육받도록 로마에 보내진다. 그러나 철학자들의 세력성장에 위협을 느낀 황제에 의해 추방당해 그리스의 북서쪽 해변에 작은 철학학교를 세운다. 그의 제자중의 한 명이 로마제국의 황제며 명상을 집필한 Marcus Aurelius Antoninus라고 전해진다.

이 얇은 책을 읽으면서 삶을 살아가는 데 있어서 말하고 싶었던 모든 것, 행하고 싶었던 모든 것이 그에 의해 모두 말하여진 듯 싶다. 2000여년 전에 어떻게 우리가 삶에서 필요한 모든 것들을 그리 꿰뚫어보고 말할 수 있었는지 경이롭다. 동세대에서 외면받더라도 같은 정신을 시대를 초월해 만날 수 있는 듯하다. 특히 그가 철학의 역할이 영혼의 울음(외침)에 응답하고 고난과 슬픔, 일상의 사소한 역경속에서 보통의 인간을 도와주는 역할을 해야한다는 점에서 역대의 그 어떤 철학자보다 훌륭한 철학적 역할을 말하고 있다고 생각된다.

'마음의 평정'을 찾아서, 자신의 자리에서 훌륭한 역할을 수행하며, 외적 자극으로부터 자유로우며, 영혼의 부름을 찾아 용기를 내어 충실한 현재를 살아나가는 일. 다시 말하지만 삶에 있어서의 모든 자세가 그에 의해 다 말하여진 듯 하다. 다만 각 개인에게 있어 깨닫고 나아가는 일이 매 세대, 매 순간의 노력인 듯.