Epictetus and Stoicism: The Wisdom of the Slave Philosopher

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In this video we explore the ideas of the Ancient Stoic philosopher Epictetus.
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Get the transcript (and find a gallery of all the art work used) ► academyofideas.com/2018/06/ep...
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[@academyofideas]

As always, you can find the transcript and a gallery of the art work used here: academyofideas.com/2018/06/epictetus-stoicism-wisdom-of-the-slave-philosopher/

[@DrAdnan]

Academy of Ideas Thank you!

[@HYPNOTICVIDEO]

This really helps me change my perspective. Good stuff. Thanks.

[@thegreatscarface4939]

Absolutely beautiful

[@MrSkypelessons]

Epictetus' writings are second to none. I'd put them on every school syllabus.

[@sydlawson3181]

Same with Seneca's Letters from a stoic. Absolutely life altering insight.

[@Kegz]

Gold man, pure gold. Thank you

[@strikingitrich7630]

Quality

[@keysofknowledge6549]

Agree completely

[@chumaggotscaesar]

A year ago I was banned from yt for good, but I remember your channel, Kegz. I'm glad that such a gem is back to my life. :)

[@privateequityguy]

*“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” ―Epictetus*

[@ahmadguided5143]

The rich one is that, who satisfied with little.

[@rudbeckia885]

Thoreau said something like " the true measure of wealth is in what one can afford to leave alone "

[@SuperCybrus]

I find it amazing how people almost 2k years ago experience the same problems we do now.

[@johnathanjacobs2569]

Cybrus Steel it's also baffling how the majority of people haven't evolved since then even though humans were extremely self aware then.

[@oldsjunkie1]

@@johnathanjacobs2569 Evolution is a slow process and it seems with the dumbing down of the general populace, hedonistic and narcissistic lifestyles as the default and zombification by "smart"phones and social media moving ever more rapidly, that we may have stopped evolving as a result of deeming "survival of the fittest" null and void. It seems we're in a state of "survival of the weakest" and if one acts strong and fit as a man used to know was his assignment, he is ridiculed and held in contempt by society. Be a weak victim of circumstance or an oppressor of the herd it seems are the only options. I'm afraid it will only get worse before getting better...

[@suballica]

@@johnathanjacobs2569 It's not that we have not evolved. It just that the majority of people don't seek wisdom by learning wise stuff which humans have already discovered years ago. I am a middle-aged full time working man living in 2019 and have just discovered this stuff. Babies are born ignorant regardless of when they are born. That why most kids go to school in the beginning years just to discover what humans have already discovered in the past. It's only possible to teach the kids basic at school. It up to the individual to seek further wisdom after that.

[@calmexit6483]

Johnathan Jacobs also, how would one define evolution? The purpose of evolution is to nippier a species life, not necessarily its intelligence. Take for example the ameba. Intelligent? No, but they’re an incredibly efficient and resilient organism.

[@robertbaur3145]

its almost like our problems ARE real and not merely inventions of the mind

[@terriesmith8219]

Love your channel. Today's society teaches victim mentality, not self accountability. Your amazing channel counteracts that.

[@MrEndzo]

That is just a way to keep control over the population, divide and conquer.

[@mankytoes]

It can be pretty subjective, what comes under things we should concern ourselves with. I mean "victim mentality" implies people aren't really victims, but of course some people are victimised and discriminated against. And it may be in your power to change that.

[@AdamTait-hy2qh]

False. It is an eternal human paradigm - hence this philosophy was espoused in ancient Greece.

[@Irisphotojournal]

Weak people become dependent and easy to control, I see it every day.

[@maleautonomy1436]

Glad you're touching on stoicism. I've really been deeply practicing this in my life. It really has worked well for me more than any other philosophy out there.

[@Tryptaminedm]

Same. It's the only thing that has ever made a drastic long lasting improvement for me.

[@QualeQualeson]

In what way has it worked, and in what ways has it not?

[@johanneskarlsson6535]

I bought Marcus Aurelius (the stoic emperor-philosopher) notes called "Meditations", read through it and marked all passages, paragraphs and sentences that felt significant to me personally, in the margin. They were quite a few. I sometimes pick it up and read the marked passages (doesn't take long) and these nuggets feel sort of like vitamins for my soul. It helps me cope when I am struggling with life.

[@potallegta]

I only recently get to know about Stoicism. I've known Buddhism and I've tried practicing it on my daily life and I'm quite surprised how similar Stoicism is to Buddhism.

[@stevebyl88]

Johannes Karlsson ... I have an android app called "the daily Stoic" which gives quotes from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca etc. There are some great quotes and anecdotes.

[@luckyleo88]

I cannot tell you how much my life has changed after I found out about stoicism. Good vibrations to those who know what you are worth and what you can achieve.

[@lefrongo6120]

A philosopher's thought process is precisely a mountain of words.

[@anab0lic]

Slaves to the opinions of others and prioritising external growth - money and possessions, over internal growth are probably two of the biggest things that I think makes the average person unhappy.

[@Richard0292]

The pursuance of money can lead to personal growth. The money doesn't matter, it's just how you keep score.

[@suballica]

Nothing wrong in pursuing external growth, someone did pursue that thats why we have youtube here. It's just working on oneself is more important first.

[@frncscbtncrt]

The pieces of art are exquisite and exquisitely chosen to match the discourse (“fulfilling life” a rainbow/// “not another day” a sunset). Lots of work into these videos

[@dedoffful]

Titan of a youtube channel .

[@atwaterpub]

"...Your progress is made or destroyed by a single day and a single action." - Epictitus

[@ahmadguided5143]

So live always in this moment and watch over yourself.

[@rdalldmaster]

That was amazing. These videos come at just the right time. Thank You for sharing this knowledge.

[@guitarmann3001]

Right? It feels like these videos come out just as I need that particular bit of advice. This video is no exception.

[@alyosha5109]

Love Stoicism. It's a life changing philosophy.

[@falcodarkzz]

I found Aurelius and Epictetus young, somehow, at 17 I gorged on them. It definately changed my life, must admit I do miss passionate feelings, the ups and downs of a vivid emotional life (yes, they go with stoicism, irretrievably it seems) but the tranquility and peace this philosophy offers can be a feather in many a persons cap.

[@guest_informant]

"Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die"

[@martinwarner1178]

Like this. Cheers Guest.

[@sambowdin5608]

Transcripts are an appreciated added touch. Thanks. I learn and marvel at the presentations of the Academy of Ideas.

[@AashimGupta15]

Thank you so very much for doing this. Your other videos on Stoicism are amazing, some of the best I've seen. We we're all just waiting for something more on Epictitus. Our wishes have been granted. Thank you!

[@BitchItsJules]

"our bodies are not up to us" now that's a difficult one to swallow in this day and age

[@camiloordonez4906]

¿Do you control your blood flow? ¿Your heartbeats? ¿The cellular division process? You can certainly take care and control some aspects of your body but most of it you actually can't control.

[@danielmocsny5066]

The Stoics understood that we can control some things and not other things. But they lived long before the Scientific Revolution began expanding the number of things we can control. For example, our genetics are not yet up to us. But we can control many environmental factors that affect our bodies, both through individual efforts (avoiding junk food, recreational drugs, and sloth) and through collective efforts (organizing to protect the environment and build infrastructure that encourages rather than discourages physical activity). The modern obesity epidemic in countries such as the USA speaks to our failure to control everything we can control. Americans have not changed genetically much from 100 years ago, but we are much fatter on average today. That's largely (no pun intended) because we built everything for the automobile. China is following us with the same mistake, and obesity is increasing there too. That was a choice under our control, and now we pay the price. We also fail to reign in corporations that use the latest science to exploit our evolved weakness for processed foods rich in fat, sugar, and salt. It's hard for amateur individual discipline to win against professionals hired by corporations to defeat individual discipline.

[@thando880]

Stoicism is a brilliant life philosophy. It's truly underrated. (I'll admit though that sometimes I think it dips (or can dip) into toxic positivity).

[@tamneal]

Superb video - inspirational quotes - fantastic visuals (paintings) and.... joy of joys - no background music! Keep 'em coming Academy of Ideas!

[@tmstani23]

Our desires, ambitions, aversion and impulses are not often within our control. Still attempting to master these is probably the best we can do. Working on our judgements and attitudes is important.

[@ashleymertens4329]

Wonderfully done, as usual! Thanks for your time and work.

[@theshiznut]

Your videos are so eloquently put together; I've never wanted to listen a lecture before yours. Keep on keeping on!

[@akpost8780]

My favorite KZbin channel

[@hedon5028]

The paintings you use in your videos are fascinating. Where or in what book did you get them?

[@academyofideas]

I spend a lot of time searching for them online. You can find a gallery of the ones used here: academyofideas.com/2018/06/epictetus-stoicism-wisdom-of-the-slave-philosopher/

[@clubadv]

Best video of the month for me. Maybe year. Thank you for this.

[@atlaskaiser693]

The quality of these videos is a form of excellence

[@aa-xn5hc]

Stoicism is always one of the most interesting topics

[@normanschmidt8075]

Thank you. Very timely information. Reinforces one's dedication to the decisions that one makes. Being adaptable by not judging how any given situation will play out helps keep us flexible. We have more options for more positive outcomes when we don't limit ourselves with negative expectations. Inward thinking and self correction are the paths one can use to reach a more balanced life. Peace Everyone.

[@nikolaybelorusov5522]

Concise and dense. Perfect format. Thanks !

[@timmccarty8111]

this is the best philosophy channel on KZbin. Heck, probably best of all channels.

[@luejackbaker4678]

So happy to have videos on stoicism back!

[@sallybugs1695]

Amazing, straight to the point no boring long entrance

[@juniorhernandez6873]

I like it SO MUCH when you guys publish practical wisdom and philosophy! THANK YOU! :D

[@biggiezsnack]

It seems you always drop the perfect video right when I need it most

[@lite8544]

saving lives by posting these videos. thanks

[@soufianekhatibi3591]

The best channel on KZbin ! you're such a blessing Salam

[@sumkin5]

It's interesting how stoicism persists through times, Epictetus, Seneca, Marc Aurel, Descartes and also Victor Frankl.

[@KyleJMyers]

Awesome video, thank you! Happiness in life = Mastery over our inner discourse.

[@orenji]

Just wanted to say that I love your videos :) Keep up the great work!

[@Rukain]

Thank you for sharing the wisdom. Keep up the good work.

[@rileym8200]

Thank you Academy of Ideas for helping the emancipation of minds

[@WillTheSage]

As a stoic thank you for sharing the ideas of the school of thought

[@bobpolo2964]

You consider yourself a stoic?

[@lancewhitehorse1703]

Stoics dont call themselves stoics

[@thetruthbetweenthelines8521]

Amazing idea, amazing presentation. Thanks a lot for your efforts!

[@ErufailonKing]

I just waited for this!! thx! keep that great work on! :D

[@Wingedmagician]

Thank you for this. Just got off of listening to The Obstacle is the Way, a self-help book based on stoicism. Gonna grab a coffee and really take this one in.

[@ozertayiz]

Great video. Liked and subscribed. Thank you very much, that was what I needed to hear right now.

[@t.h.2906]

Simply lovely as always my friend.

[@domsjuk]

Excellent and inspiring! I had never heard of Epictetus before, but he seems to offer a lot of good substance. Thank you for creating this unique and very valuable content! It is a shame that throughout history in the West the deep and pragmatic wisdom of stoicism hasn't evolved more and found more popular reception.

[@ahmadguided5143]

Chasing for gold and dollars, west lost a spirit.

[@NoFacephilosophy]

Without a doubt, one of the most important channels on KZbin. I've been trying to do something similar on my channel, I'd be lucky to do it half as well as you do.

[@atwaterpub]

Well spoken and a good summary. Thank you.

[@donblack1571]

This is insane that What comes before me is the tools I needed but am now ready to use. At the end of the day it’s all up to me to use me tools move forward and let go of things I can’t control.

[@valery668]

Loved reading Epictetus with my dad. One saying I like is "We are just clay bowls filled with blood which we have to give back anyway."

[@slka3272]

Amazing. Great job as always!

[@kingbubba126]

Your channel is incredible. Subbed and notifications turned on.

[@mohammadmomani2330]

We want a new video ! 😭😭😭 I'm addicted to this channel beside my addiction to smoking and not studying well

[@adiiambrish]

Perfect! Thank you

[@fredo69ification]

thank you for this.

[@danynata9337]

One of my favourites

[@youngsikkim7925]

Glad to have a Korean subtitle. Thank you

[@MrEndzo]

This is our power, reality is shaped by our thought.

[@cemalcakir]

Awesome!!! Would like to see more videos on Greek and Latin philosophy.

[@TheSilverGate]

I love this channel, thank you very much.

[@joechill9747]

Wow i should more read into this, how i live my life is something similiar to this while not really reach that level yet

[@Ruokalippu]

Excellent as always. Have you thought about making a video of Cato the Younger?

[@dh4817]

Thank you for this video, y gracias al que hizo los subtitulos en español.

[@edmundobaca3498]

Thank you 🙌

[@insearchofahillworthdyingon]

The emphasis that the Greeks placed on philosophy as a way of life is such an important one that is often missed so I was very happy to see this included. Stoicism as a philosophy is very interesting but ultimately rather flawed. Epictetus' statement that 'it is not things that trouble us, but our judgements about things' is true. Afterall, it's not the pain receptors in our finger when we touch a hot stove that cause pain. It is the brain's negative interpretation of this event. However, the problem comes in assuming that these judgements that we make are voluntary and that we have (or can have with training) complete control over our judgements of worldly stimuli. There's a romanticism and appeal in imagining a being who has ascended beyond the everyday but this is unrealistic and in some cases, undesirable. Imagine the disconnect you would need to have from your friends and family if you were to sever any emotional connection to these people. To not be affected one way or another if they're happy or sad. Love you or hate you. Whether they live or die. Life is inherently painful and so sometimes when we see an opportunity to pull away from that pain, we jump at it. But we're all bound within the confines of the human condition and try as we might, we can't escape it. Therefore, any joy we are to find in life must be found within these confines.

[@ashleymertens4329]

Chris J I've always held views similar to what you've stated regarding Stoicism. It is a wonderful school of thought to study, but not one I would choose to adhere to strictly. I love this discourse this channel starts, thanks for commenting your insight!

[@suino1433]

If the hot stove destroys your hand, leaving you without a hand, is that the brain's negative interpretation that you are missing a hand or is it an actual fact that you have lost your hand?

[@QualeQualeson]

Very true, I do believe you touch upon the key problems with it. I'm not sure about the conlusion though. In my experience, you can't close this box once it's opened, and so you kinda loop back to problem number one again. Every conscious insight takes a bite out of ignorant bliss, but ultimately I have a hard time spotting a more worthy project.

[@castielcasio7453]

I agree

[@insearchofahillworthdyingon]

Suino, you've definatley lost your hand so that part is fact. The part that is up for interpretation is whether the loss of the hand is a cause for being upset or not. The stoics would argue that we through the practice of philosophy we can become, and should seek to become, immune to negative feelings in response to these kind of misfortunes. My point is that this kind of approach to things is both unrealistic and ultimately undesirable.

[@mg7509]

This was crazy. I dont believe in destiny but, this video just perfectly fits the ideas I concluded today just before watching it based on the last few months of my life . The worst thing is that I had already concluded the same ideas one year ago, I think life, or at least my perception of it has cycles and it would be really worthwile to get to know them. Anyways, I think that now I am wiser than the last time I got to those ideas, because at the time I tried to apply them with great intensity and euforia, and I couldn´t keep the pace up. Now I will try to apply them with a more calm and measured attitude. Great video, thanks for reading and good luck!

[@elidrissii]

I went through the same path.

[@user-gw9wv6or1f]

I’m thankful I found this channel and subscribed. I have an essay to write related to the topic that’s why hehe

[@ryanholsapple5179]

Can't wait to listen to this!

[@jekciso]

You've widen my world.

[@Dexcelo]

Your voice is amazing and so your channel

[@DrAdnan]

This hits close to home.

[@VillainReport]

“make everything that seems best to be a law that you cannot go against.” That’s convicting!

[@kevinambrocio08]

Really had a bad day. Lucky this video came on my recommendations.

[@BassForever44]

BEAUTIFUL!!!

[@Tynon1221]

Exceptional parting words "even by a single action" Choose this day.

[@ruthielalastor2209]

Wonderful. Thank you. ♥

[@andresbf830]

Bravo! Golden Content!

[@AbuSous2000PR]

I wish if you could present an episode on Gramci's cultural hegemony Thx i enjoy your videos a lot

[@OffTheWagons]

This was amazing

[@kulkarnisingh347]

I love ur channel pure gold

[@bobmccoy8922]

Damn, what a video- spectacular content!

[@chris432t6]

Could listen to this a thousand times 🌝

[@richieshive]

This channel is the best...

[@ramsagar8531]

Academy of Ideas, i request you to make a series on Marcus Aurelius.

[@mindbuilder9507]

As usual...life changing information.

[@MrAtilla]

Stoicism is like crafting impenetrable suit of armor And then becoming that armor Good video

[@bobwes57]

Well said!

[@Gabriel-er8pp]

10% is what happens to us. 90% is how we react to it.

[@ShubhamVyas007]

100% is how we react to it ☮️

[@jjut6182]

Thank you for those last 2 minutes

[@PulyAxel]

Great video, you should add it to your Stoicism Playlist.

[@academyofideas]

Will do, thanks for reminding me.

[@shanequigley7552]

Great channel

[@atwaterpub]

"Whatever happens, it is either good, or can lead to something good." - Mr. Atwater

[@fadi77fadi77]

Like most philosophy, this is good in theory. Our emotional aversions are built through billions of years of evolution towards things happening in the external world. You can't exist in your mind without the external world influencing you in ways that are unpredictable and often harsh. Sure you can train yourself to think yourself out of a particular problem and have lower emotional response, but it's no easy task at all.

[@mankytoes]

I'm not bad at the "don't be materialist/concerned with social status" part (definitely a degree of "can't miss what you've never had"). I'm terrible at the "don't sweat the small stuff" things like missing a train or having a computer freeze. I know it isn't healthy or productive to get so wound up, but I don't really know how to change this.

[@ChopinIsMyBestFriend]

I just picked up a book which had Lucretius’ “On The Nature Of Things”, Epictetus’ “Discourses”, and Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations”.

[@johnboltonsmustache3014]

Fascinating 🤔