In your plan: Week 13, Mon, 11 Jan 2027.
Start here · 1 min read
Overview
The Enchiridion, meaning handbook or something kept close at hand, is a short collection of Stoic advice by Epictetus, put together by his pupil Arrian. It teaches that some things are up to us, such as our judgements, desires and choices, and others are not, such as our bodies, property, reputation and the actions of other people. Peace and freedom come from concentrating effort on the first group. It matters because it is the most direct bridge between ancient philosophy and modern coaching, resilience training and cognitive therapy.
Context
Epictetus was born into slavery in Phrygia, probably around 50 CE, and was later freed. He taught philosophy in Rome and then at Nicopolis in Greece. He wrote nothing himself. Arrian recorded his lectures as the Discourses and condensed the core teaching into the Enchiridion. Epictetus belonged to the Stoic school, which saw philosophy as a discipline for living, not only a body of theory.
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Curator's notes
- Why it matters
- Control what you can, accept what you cannot. Philosophy as daily mental training.
- Use in training and coaching
- Locus of control; reframing; the strongest bridge from canon to coaching
- Connects to
- Gita; CBT (Ellis, Beck); Frankl
- What to read
- Enchiridion; Seneca, On the Shortness of Life; Meditations Books 2, 4
- Text (date)
- Stoics: Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius (c. 50–180 CE)
- Also in Era 3: Renaissance and Reformation: Text (date)
- Descartes, Discourse on Method; Meditations (1637, 1641)
- Also in Era 3: Renaissance and Reformation: What to read
- Discourse Parts 1–4; Meditations 1–2
- Also in Era 3: Renaissance and Reformation: Why it matters
- "I think, therefore I am." Radical doubt as a method. Mind and body as separate.
- Also in Era 3: Renaissance and Reformation: Connects to
- Al-Ghazali; Locke; modern neuroscience debates
- Also in Era 3: Renaissance and Reformation: Use in training and coaching
- Questioning assumptions before decisions
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