How to Be Free: An Ancient Guide to the Stoic Life

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers

by Epictetus, Anthony A. Long (Translation)

A superb new edition of Epictetus's famed handbook on Stoicism--translated by one of the world's leading authorities on Stoic philosophy

Born a slave, the Roman Stoic philosopher Epictetus (c. 55-135 AD) taught that mental freedom is supreme, since it can liberate one anywhere, even in a prison. In How to Be Free, A. A. Long--one of the world's leading authorities on Stoicism and a pioneer in its remarkable contemporary revival--provides a superb new edition of Epictetus's celebrated guide to the Stoic philosophy of life (the Encheiridion) along with a selection of related reflections in his Discourses.

Freedom, for Epictetus, is not a human right or a political prerogative but a psychological and ethical achievement, a gift that we alone can bestow on ourselves. We can all be free, but only if we learn to assign paramount value to what we can control (our motivations and reactions), treat what we cannot control with equanimity, and view our circumstances as opportunities to do well and be well, no matter what happens to us through misfortune or the actions of other people.

How to Be Free features splendid new translations and the original Greek on facing pages, a compelling introduction that sets Epictetus in context and describes the importance of Stoic freedom today, and an invaluable glossary of key words and concepts. The result is an unmatched introduction to this powerful method of managing emotions and handling life's situations, from the most ordinary to the most demanding.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Classics, Self Help, History, Audiobook, Personal Development

173 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was probably born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey), and lived in Rome until his exile to Nicopolis in northwestern Greece, where he lived most of his life and died. His teachings were noted down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses. Philosophy, he taught, is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control, but we can accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. Individuals, however, are responsible for their own actions which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power. As part of the universal city that is the universe, human beings have a duty of care to all fellow humans. The person who followed these precepts would achieve happiness.

Other language versions:
Epictète
Epícteto
Epiktet

Reviews

[Lidija · Rating 5 out of 5]

For any "original" thought you may have had in your life, you need to realize that some Greek guy had already had the same one, spent years contemplating it, made a conclusion, developed a whole theory around it and then wrote it down, sending it downstream all the way to the 21st century.

So it is with Epictetus. I'm kind of a Stoicism junkie, so no surprise I loved this tiny book. It never ceases to amaze me how much of this 2,000 year old philosophy is still part of our daily lives. Case in point: the influence of the "Encheridion" on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: "It is not things themselves that trouble people, but their opinions about things."

Or my personal favorite: "If someone in the street were entrusted with your body, you would be furious. Yet you entrust your mind to anyone who happens to insult you and allow it to be troubled and confused. Are you not ashamed of that?"

Beautiful volume, meant to be re-read often.

[°•.Melina°•. · Rating 5 out of 5]

مثل نشستن تو مکتب اپیکتتوس تو یونان قبل میلاد بود که دارم به حرفاش گوش میدم و یاد میگیریم و بوی عود و خاک و شراب و پاپیروس هم تو مکتب پیچیده. خیلی فکر کردم که چه ریویویی بنویسم که طولانی و مفید و قانع کننده باشه. ولی برای فلسفه این کار من نیست یک، دو هم اگر بخوام تیکه ای از کتاب رو بیارم باید به تعداد صفحات کتاب بیارم. بنابراین زیاده گویی رو میذارم کنار و میگم خیلی خوشحالم که تو بهترین موقع به این کتاب برخوردم و حتما و سریعا و لطفا تو هر سن و مرحله‌ای از زندگیتون هستین بخونیدش. شک ندارم به حرفاش نیاز دارید💚 و دم نشر چرخ گرم که علاقه‌مندان به اسطوره/ فلسفه/ جامعه‌شناسی/سیاست رو داره نجات میده و یک تنه این مکاتب رو تو کتابفروشیا کامل کرده🫴🏻✨️

🔖خرداد ۱۴۰۴

[Julian Worker · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to be Free is an Ancient Guide to the Stoic life and comprises The Encheiridion and selections from The Discourses.

Epictetus was born a slave and lived from 55AD to 135AD. This Roman Stoic philosopher taught that mental freedom is supreme, since it can liberate you anywhere, even in prison.

Freedom for Epictetus is a psychological achievement, a gift that we alone can bestow on ourselves, by assigning value to what we can control and treating what we can't control with equanimity.

Wherever I go I will be fine, because I was already fine here - not on account of the place but as a result of my principles, and I am going to take them with me. No one can take them away from me; they are my only possessions, irremovable ones that are enough for me, wherever I am and whatever I do.

[Olga Shatokha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a compact book of great thoughts, simple, yet not simplistic.
The ideas on freedom of a man who was born as a slave, make so much sense even after 2000 years - it gives me goosebumps to think about it.
Epictetus’ vision on how to be cool will never go out of fashion :)

P.S. The intro could be skipped while reading in my opinion, it makes almost half of the book.

[Massimo Pigliucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of the ongoing Princeton Press series, "Classical Wisdom for Modern Readers." I intend to go through the entire collection and review it both here and, more extensively, on my Substack newsletter, Figs in Winter. How to Be Free is Anthony Long's translation of the Encheiridion, the manual for a happy life by the second century Stoic philosopher Epictetus. The volume also includes extracts from Epictetus' Discourses. Long is *the* foremost modern scholar on Epictetus, so he knows what he's doing. The focus of the volume is Epictetus' unusual, but highly effective, concept of freedom. He was a slave, so the topic was particularly dear to him. Epictetus sees freedom not in physical but rather in mental terms. We are free to the extent to which our judgments and decisions are not impaired, not in terms of shackles and liberty of movement. And the good news is that this type of freedom is entirely up to us. Others can restrict us in many ways, but not when it comes to our prohairesis, our faculty of the will. A must read for anyone interested in Stoicism and practical philosophy.

[Faiaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to Stoic philosophy. The 'Stoic way of life' is something to strive towards, because it is incredibly difficult to achieve that level of control over one's mind. Here are few things that I took away from the book:
1. Distinguish things under your control vs not: Whenever faced with a situation, ask yourself whether it is/was under your control or not. If it wasn't, do not dwell over it. (critical lens: If the principal question of stoic Philosophy is weather something is in our control or not, I think it's in reality hard to distinguish between how much of an incident is a consequence of some choice that was under our control and what was not.)
2. Do not depend on others for your own freedom and tranquility of mind. It does not mean you won't reach out to others for help if you need so, but regardless of how the other person reacts, if you have made the reasonable choices, the rest is not up to you and you shouldn't feel positively/negatively about it. As Epictetus writes: "If someone in the street were entrusted with your body, you would be furious. Yet you entrust your mind to anyone around who happens to insult you, and allow it to be troubled and confused. Aren't you ashamed of that?"
3. Always remind yourself, we are mortal beings and eventually we all will die. Then, "you will never have any mean thought or be too keen on anything" because everything is impermanent.
4. Whenever someone provokes you, be aware that the provocation really comes from your own judgement. Start, then by trying not to get carried away by the impression. Once you pause and give yourself time, you will more easily control yourself.
5. Acknowledge the role of randomness and luck. "You can always win if you only enter competitions where winning is up to you".
6. Never judge another person from outward impressions. There are wealthy and/or powerful people who are unhappy. Hence, wealth or power should not be your goal if you want a free mind.
7. It is better to starve to death in a calm and confident state of mind than to live anxiously amidst abundance.
8. "Uneducated people blame others when they are doing badly. Those whose education is underway blame themselves. But a fully educated person blames no one, neither himself nor anyone else."
9. "If you are told that someone is talking badly of you, don't defend yourself against the story but reply "obviously he didn't know my other faults, or he would have mentioned them as well."
10. Treat things that are given to you (wealth, honor, power, family, friendships, health) like travelers treat their lodging; you don't own or control them, but take care of them when you have them. If you lose them, don't be sad because they have only been returned, you didn't 'lose' them because they were never yours.
11. Don't ask for things to happen as you liked them to, but wish them to happen as they actually do, and you will be alright.
12. Don't be carried away with first impressions. In all circumstances, keep in mind to turn in to yourself and ask what resources you have for dealing with these things. "If you see a good looking man or woman, you will find self-control the appropriate power; if pain afflicts you, you will find endurance; if rudeness, you will find patience. By developing these habits, you will not be carried away by your first impressions."
13. “These inferences are invalid: “I am richer than you, therefore I am better than you,” and “I am more eloquent than you, therefore I am better than you.” But the following inferences are more cogent: “I am richer than you, therefore my property is better than yours,” or “I am more eloquent than you, therefore my diction is better than yours.” But you yourself are neither property nor diction.”

[Siobhán · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bro teaches you how to win the IDGAF wars

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

OH NO! website crashed just as I was submitting my 500 words rant about how horrible the "Stoicism Self-Help" brand is!

Basically:
- the book got a 2/5 bc the translation was bad :(
- I angrily shake my fist at "Stoic Self-Help" trend popular amongst whyte men (who also usually idolize Caesar and Roman Legionary)
- imo stoicism is a fabulous philosophy to sit quietly and ruminate upon, not to preached loudly or adopted into the "grind mindset" .
- This being published in a series titled "How to Be" (containing other heinous topics like "How to Run a Country" & "How to Win an Election") KILLS MY VIBE.
- I reserve my judgement on Epictetus until I read Dobbin's Penguin Classics translation.

Either way, always good to leave some quotes behind
from The Enchiridion

If you want to make progress, don’t mind appearing foolish and silly where outward things are concerned. (13)

Keep in mind that what injures you is not people who are rude or aggressive but your opinion that they are injuring you. (20)

If you are told that someone is talking badly of you, don’t defend yourself against the story but reply: “Obviously he didn’t know my other faults, or he would have mentioned them as well.” (33)

Whenever you do something you have decided ought to be done, never try to avoid being seen doing it, even if people in general may disapprove of it. If, of course, your action is wrong, just don’t do it at all; but if it’s right, why be afraid of people whose criticism is off the mark? (35)

Don’t ever describe yourself as a philosopher or talk much among ordinary people about your philosophical principles; simply do what the principles prescribe. (46)

[Nadiah Razali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walaupun jumlah helaian nya sedikit, tapi topik yang di bawa oleh buku ini agak berat bagi saya. Definitely akan reread lagi.

Menurut Epictetus untuk mencapai kebebasan minda, kita perlu tahu apa yang mampu kita kawal, dan perkara yang kita tidak mampu kawal kita kita (kesihatan,miskin, kaya, lemah, kuat,kematian dan etc)

Setiap individu bertanggungjawab atas setiap keputusan yang dibuat, setiap kegembiraan, kesedihan dan kemarahan.

Kalau kegembiraan kita bergantung kepada kebendaan, atau sesuatu yang bukan milik kita, maka kegembiraan kita akan selalu dikawal oleh sesuatu benda/seseorang.

Antara quote/ kata-kata yang saya suka dalam buku ini

“If the street were entrusted with your body, would you be furious. Yet you entrust your mind to anyone who happens to insult you and you allow it to be troubled and confused”

“It is not things themselves that trouble people, but their opinions about things”

“ It is not events that disturb people, it is their judgements concerning them”

[Anya بت Mohand · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing you have is your will and your point of view, everything else are things that you have no control over.
Think of life being a dinner table and bread is being passed. the graceful thing to do is to take what is offered and to not hold to the bread basket when it's being taken away.
Your loved ones, your health, your properties are all materials that are passed to you like bread on a dinner table.

بملء إرادتي وبملء بأسي عصيتُ بعالم الشهَوات نفسي
وعصياني لها رضوانُ ربي وعزّة حاضري وغدي وأمسي
إذا أسلمتُ للنفس انقيادي جرعتُ الذُّل كأساً بعد كأسِ
وعين الذل أن أحيا رقيقاً بطاعة أمرها أضحي وأُمسي
وإني قد أبيتُ لها انقياداً وصنت كرامتي ورفعتُ رأسي
أسيِّرها كما أهوى وليست كما تهوى تُسيّرني لبؤسي
أحاسبها قبيل حلول يومٍأ حاسب فيه ممدوداً برمسي
ومهما زيَّنت قُبح الخطايا وبثّت غيَّها في كل هجسِس
أبقى ما حييتُ أقول كلا لما تُمليه من زللٍ ورجس
وأقضي العصر في حربٍ سجالٍ أريد خضوعها وتريدُ نكسي
أشُنُّ على رغائبها قتالاً وأترك جذعَها نهبا لفأسي أُروّضها وألجمُها فيعلو صهيلُ جِماحِها في كل حسّي
وتبقى مارداً شرساً ولكن بقُمْقُمه الصغير رهين حبسِ

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains so many golden nuggets of wisdom! In ancient Greece, 2000 years ago, a former slave named Epictetus understood what it truly means to be free, and he became a philosopher and turned those ideas into this book. And here I am thousands of years later reading his ideas to learn how to free my own mind. Although he heavily advocated non-judgment, he did have quite a lot of rigid rules as to how one should live their life. But that can be easily overlooked because of how much I loved the rest of what he had to say.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I try to read most translations of Epictetus as I come across them, just in case a difference in word choice exposes meaning I hadn't gleaned before or resonates in a new way.

[Houssem Mallem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listening to the audiobook wasn't a pleasant experience, almost half the book was a torture, but thankfully it got better and even enjoyed it. Overall it was an acceptable overview of The Enchiridion ( Handbook) of Epictetus which is a short manual of Stoic ethical advice.

[Nesreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m intrigued.

[Nico Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost 5 stars! Epictetus is amazing, want to read more of him!!!!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now a freer woman

[Ender Campoverde · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful wisdom.

[Illiterate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Epictetus’ view of happiness as mental tranquility discounts bodily and emotional pleasures.

[Vincent Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read about Epictetus from the book "The Practicing Stoic". Of course, Epictetus was a Stoic philosopher. Epictetus started out his life as a slave, only becoming free later, so his thoughts on freedom have a certain authenticity and weight to them. His basic advice is that freedom comes from conforming one's happiness to what one controls and not allowing one's happiness to be dictated by what one does not control. If our happiness relies on an office, or money that someone else controls, our happiness is always controlled by someone else and we are not truly free. Even our health, and the health of our loved ones are not totally in our control, and should not be the basis of our happiness.

While the freedom that Epictetus celebrates and strives towards is an inner freedom, his work also contains other more practical advice. In particular, I liked his message about seeing the value of things clearly. Epictetus says he does not envy the famous because he knows what the famous had to do to get their fame, such as grovel before the masses. Epictetus says that one should not feel bad about not being invited to a fancy dinner party, because then one does not have to pay the price of flattering the host. Often, we want what others having, without even thinking about the price they paid for it. This extends to professions and careers, Epictetus advises us not to only imagine the benefits of those careers (such as money or prestige) but also to consider clearly the sacrifices made for these careers. Epictetus, like the Stoics generally, recommends not attaching values to external things. Someone can have more of a desirable quality than you, be it wealth or talent, but that does not mean they are better than you. When bad things happen to others like when they break a cup or lose a relative we brush it off as minor, while if the same happens to us, it seems catastrophic. Instead of such hypocrisy, Epictetus encourages us to be objective in how we view these things, and find our freedom in our clear view of the surrounding world and our place in it.

Although I enjoyed reading the more expansive source material found here, I feel like the core of Epictetus's message was gracefully summed up in the Practicing Stoic. The translation here is more technical than the others in this series (for example, including a glossary in the back explaining translation choices), and the introduction more academic and theoretical. That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, but may feel unusual for fans of the ancient guide series who have read other more colloquial entries in the series.

[Agatoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

+ stoicism is a good philosophy for thwarted plans, but not the best for making plans in the first place. it stands too closely to apathy.

+ stoicism is faith-based (“this is as it was meant to be”) whereas an agnostic approach seems more... solid/humble/rational (“who's to say this is not what was meant to be”)

+ the stoic idea that some things are up to us while others are not and best to fret only about that which is up to us...is a useful philosophy but i imagine most ppl have no clarity of what exactly is up to them i.e. in their power to control/affect...(does voting matter? recycling? should we select the genetic makeup of our offspring?)

overall: stoicism is more of a bridge to somewhere else than a destination

[Todd N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the cover and title is a bit cheesy, this book is essentially a Loeb Classical Library edition dressed up to look like pop philosophy. This is a complete and new translation of The Encheiridion and some selections from Discourses. The original Greek is on the left, the corresponding translation on the right.

For a 2,000 year old text, the simply stated ideas in it feel fresh and direct in a modern way. Its influences are felt today from the Serenity Prayer to cognitive behavioral therapy. As a bonus you will know how to act if a slave breaks your cup.

Highly recommended. But don’t try to make Epictetus proud of you—he will chide you for that.

[Kieran Banister · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be alive in modern times is to exist - so abstracted and distant from the self - that it would be easy to go your whole life without even considering that your thoughts and actions are not your own. The ancient wisdoms in this handbook serve as a reminder that everything is immaterial but your will, and where you place it. Unlike any religious text, it contains no mysticism, no fables; just pure logic.


It's truly humbling to read this and know that, at its core, what it truly means to be human hasn't changed in thousands of years; and it never will.

[C. Çevik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Son çıkan Epiktetos çevirilerinden biri. İçinde Enkheiridion'un tamamı ve Diatribai'dan seçmeler bulunuyor, Yunancaları da. Long Helenistik dönem felsefesi konusunda otorite sayılabilecek filologlardan biri, oldukça iyi ve doyurucu çalışmaları var, bu çeviri de öyle. İlgilisine öneririm.

[Mark O'mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, short and enlightening for fellow Stoic travellers!

[Ehab mohamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

قرأت المقدمة والجزء الخاص بالمحاورات، نظرا لقرائتي كتاب (المختصر) لإبكتيتوس من قبل بترجمة الدكتور عادل مصطفى البديعة

وقرائتي لهذه اللمعات من المحاورات حفزني لقرائتي كلها إن شاء السميع العليم.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful ‘bite-size’ introduction to Epictetus: concise and effective. Though it mainly focuses on his philosophy of freedom, the inclusion of the full text of Encheiridion means that you get more of a broad brush stroke of Stoic philosophy. The book includes an introduction outlining the key ideas and context of Stoicism, a full translation of the Encheiridion and a small collection of excerpts from Discourses (translations are side by side with the original Greek), a glossary of key terms, and a list of further reading.

What excited me most about this book was that the translation and introduction were by A. A Long, who is a very well-respected scholar of Ancient Greek philosophy. Long is one of those rare academics who can explain complex things in very simple and engaging terms without sacrificing accuracy. His famous work co-authored with David Sedley serves as a sort of bible in the Hellenistic philosophy class I am taking - I was very happy to see his dedication to David Sedley and know that the Long & Sedley bromance is alive and well.

On Stoicism more generally: there are parts of Stoicism that I think are incredibly insightful and parts that I think miss the mark. Unsurprisingly for a philosophy that is 2000-odd-years-old, parts need to be taken with a grain of salt. So these 5-stars are not necessarily for the contents of the book itself but for how well it has fulfilled its purpose as an introduction to Epictetus’ philosophy of freedom. That said, there are many pearls of wisdom inside, and I did thoroughly enjoy reading it. I originally bought this book as a gift for someone else but couldn’t help reading it before I handed it over.

I also found it surprising how often Epictetus tells his students to shut up about Stoic philosophy, given how Stoicism has been co-opted as a philosophy for the out & proud alpha males of the internet, who use Stoicism as a way to validate their beliefs that they are intellectually and morally superior to others (and a range of other bizarre ideas about suppressing their emotions). This way of handling Stoicism seems to be completely at odds with the reality of the philosophy.

And a timely quotation for myself, who read this book while procrastinating on many midterm essays: “If you are negligent now and lazy and always procrastinating, and settling on the day after tomorrow and the next as when you will take yourself in hand, you will fail to see that you are making no progress but spending your entire life as an ordinary person until you die. Right now, then, think yourself worthy to live as a grown-up making progress; and take your view of the best to be the rule that you never transgress. And whatever you encounter that is painful or pleasant or popular or unpopular, keep in mind that now is the contest, and here right now are the Olympic games, and that postponement is no longer an option, and that your progress is saved or ruined by a single day and a single action.”

[Caleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did such a fantastic job explaining the basics of stoicism. I am coming away with a strong understanding of the school of thought, and lessons / practices I will carry long with me. The book is so small, and the space was used very effectively - I felt like every sentence was necessary and important. It was also in a very accessible format, something that is often lost in a lot of philosophy text. I’m thrilled my first book of ‘22 was such a great read.

[Emma]

definitely a book which I’m gonna need to come back to and read a few more times

I remember these lines standing out to me: “If someone in the street were entrusted with your body, you would be furious. Yet you entrust your mind to anyone around who happens to insult you, and allow it to be troubled and confused. Aren’t you ashamed of that?”

[Danny Galvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d be lying if I didn’t say that some of this probably went over my head. Still a lot of positives I was able to take from it though. Definitely provided me with a new perspective on will and personal freedom. Control what you can control. Loved the emphasis of goodness and badness and the ways that we allow nature and outside forces to impact us. Definitely a book I can see myself going back to multiple times. Very quick read

[Baroness · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stoic to the core I am but my oh my I could not finish this audiobook.
Verbiage overkill.