Epictetus Archives - Thinking in the Light

The Thousand Natural Shocks

April 29, 2024June 30, 2022 by Brian Julian

The death of a loved one is a major source of suffering, but Epictetus the stoic says we don’t have to suffer when this happens. We need, instead, to gain apathy by recognizing the true nature of the world. Is Epictetus onto something, or is he just stuffing his emotions?

Flammable Objects

February 22, 2021October 8, 2020 by Brian Julian

In the wake of a fire in my apartment, I was torn between devastation and apathy when it came to thinking about the things that were ruined. The better response, however, is not materialism or stoicism, but faith.