 Let's talk about Epictetus and the power of choice. Epictetus was well known for his contributions to the Stoic doctrine and for overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds with calm repose. You see, Epictetus was born a slave, to a cruel master who tortured him and left him with permanent injuries. For most, this would leave them hopeless and bitter towards the world, but Epictetus saw it differently. He believed that our circumstances do not dictate human felicity, but what does is how we choose to perceive them. My name is Brett, and in this video, we're going to look at how you can apply this power of choice to your life. At the root of the Stoic philosophy is the belief that focusing on external things is pointless and irrational, that if someone wishes for true equanimity, they must of necessity only focus on what it is they can control. This narrows your focus on your own judgments and choices. Let's look at this quote on the power of choice by Epictetus. You are not your body and hairstyle, but your capacity for choosing well. If your choices are beautiful, so too will you be. This quote maintains that regardless of your circumstance, physical beauty, social status, or intellectual ability, your ability to choose remains equal in all human beings. Some will say that their choice is not always under their control, and that outside powers force their hand against their will. Excluding any brain deterioration or chemical alteration, others can only impose undesirable consequences, such as prison, bodily harm, and death, none of which impair your ability to choose. Epictetus said, man, what are you talking about? Me and chains? You may feather my leg, but my will, not even Zeus himself, can overpower. Another prominent Stoic said in the same sense, it is the power of the mind to be uncongruable. Thus under the teachings of Epictetus, no matter the circumstances, whether under duress or not, you and you alone are responsible for the choices you make. When facing this realization, you could think to yourself, this will only increase my anxiety because of the weight of the responsibility that falls on my shoulders. Or you could think, how great is it that I am now in complete control of my own happiness, because I choose to discard those things I cannot control. And if I am to fail, I will know that I have done my best. There is a scenario that Epictetus proposes in where a person is going on a voyage. They have chosen the sturdiest ship, the optimal date, the clearest weather, and the most experienced captain. But soon after leaving port, catastrophe strikes. And what could we possibly do in this situation? Epictetus proposes, I do the only thing I am in position to do, drown, but fearlessly, without bawling or crying out to God, because I know that what is born must also die. He said this because even then, in the moment of utter despair, you can still choose how you react to the situation. This can be applied to virtually any situation in your own lives. Someone has insulted you, choose to ignore them or understand why. Someone achieved something you think you deserve more, choose to be happy for them, not envious. You've seen injustice being done, choose to take action, not to sit by thanking the heavens, it's not you having injustice done to them. Marcus Aurelius once said, you can commit an injustice by doing nothing, and I am in an agreement with his thought. Revaluating external objects will be for some easy, for others difficult, but for all free. If you can adopt the belief that happiness is not found outside of oneself, but within, then anxiety will be a thing of the past. Of course this is not as easy as simply saying, you're going to ignore all external things. This freedom is only achieved through lifelong discipline and practice. Some things that you can do to develop this skill are one, review your judgments at the end of each day, and ask yourself if you allowed something outside of your control to vex you. Number two, write down what usually causes you anxiety, anger, or fear. Then go over in your head how or if you could change it. And number three, constantly reflect on number one and two. Thanks for talking philosophy with me. Subscribe if you enjoyed the video and we'll talk more. Until next time.