Quote of the Day: Stoic Philosopher Epictetus on Embracing the Unknown and Letting Go of Control

One of the biggest names when it comes to the Stoics of ancient history is Epictetus. He was a Greek Stoic philosopher born in 55 CE and “flourished in the early second century” with his Stoicism, per the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP). He never wrote any original works, with only his teachings being passed down and recorded by his students. Epictetus influenced other philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, and his teachings bleed into modern thought. Our quote of the day focuses on one of his teachings, which tells us not to have unrealistic expectations and, instead, embrace the unknown, letting go of control.

According to the Daily Stoic, Epictetus was born as a slave in a wealthy household in Hierapolis, which is present-day Turkey. When he was old enough, he was allowed to study, leading him to discover philosophy through Musonius Rufus, another Stoic. Epictetus studied under him and then gained his freedom after Emperor Nero’s death, going on to teach philosophy in Rome for almost 25 years. As the IEP reported, Emperor Domitian banned all philosophy, which meant Epictetus had to flee Rome, which is where he settled in Nicopolis, in modern-day Greece. 

As Project Gutenberg reported, Epictetus was different from other Stoic philosophers like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius because he taught it “as a doctrine and as a way of life,” as opposed to using it as a way to express “their existential problems of independence, solitude and history.”

According to Yale University Press, Stoicism is a school of thought in philosophy that teaches that there are things out of our control and because of that we should not worry about them. In fact, they believed that fixating on things you could not change or control would “bring us ruin.” 

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Quote of the Day by Epictetus

“Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will—then your life will flow well.”

This quote appears in The Enchiridion by Epictetus, which was essentially his handbook, per the book’s description, and was a compilation of practical behaviors and rules. According to Project Gutenberg, the word means “manual,” and played a “large role in the rise of modern attitudes and modern philosophy.” 

No original writings by Epictetus exist, but the book was compiled by his student, Arrian, and was published in 125 CE. Project Gutenberg reported that this book is “the living spirit of Stoicism,” and a “manual for the combat officer,” as the Roman Stoics after Epictetus coined the phrase, “Life is being a soldier.”

Because this is a translation, there are different versions of the above quote out there. Project Gutenberg writes it as, “Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well.” And the Elizabeth Carter version says, “Don’t demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they happen as they do happen, and you will go on well.”

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Deeper Meaning of Epictetus’ Quote—Letting Go of Control

Stoicism teaches you not to worry about things that are out of your control. So, with this quote, Epictetus is teaching us not to expect or desire things to turn out how we wish they would be. Since we can’t control most things outside of ourselves, expecting or wishing for things to be a certain way, especially if it’s unrealistic, is just setting us up for failure. He says that we should, instead, wish for things to happen how they should. 

That’s not to say that we shouldn’t have high standards for ourselves in terms of treatment or love, nor does it mean that we shouldn’t aim for ambitious goals. It’s saying that we shouldn’t wish for life to be something that it never can be. Instead, we should hope for things to go how the universe—or God if you’re religious—planned them to go.

Your future will be what it will be, so try to embrace this unknown and your lack of control; your life will be better off for it.

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More Quotes from Epictetus

• “How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?”
• “First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
• “Curb your desire—don’t set your heart on so many things and you will get what you need.”
• “Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.”
• “If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, ‘He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would have not mentioned these alone.’”

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