Reflection Paper - Epictetus's Outlook

Alex Henson

November 8, 2011

Philosophy101

Regardless of how long ago Epictetus and His Handbook were written it can still apply to everyday life. He goes into many relevant things such as how to build character, how to deal with relationships, and how to deal with the struggles and joy life can bring us. Epictetus's outlook on life is a very interesting and helpful one.

The most fascinating statement to me would have to be his twenty-first point. In this he states, " Let death and exile and everything that is terrible appear before your eyes every day, especially death; and you will never have anything contemptible in your thoughts or crave anything excessively" (White, 16). This is so interesting because it is basically saying that all the experiences we go through in our life determine the person we become. I strongly agree with the statement although not very many people live their lives this way even though we should. So although we have no way of determining if people in these times lived their lives this way, we do know it is not actuality today. Many people still want things that others consider to be unnecessary even after seeing awful things such as death. For those who haven't seen such terrible things will be grateful for all they have once they do. Many others may follow this moral code and know they have been blessed with great things in their lives and do not want the things that are not needed for survival.

As for me I am guilty at times of wanting, not needing, these unnecessary things in my life. Being materialistic gets me nowhere in life it is just something I can't help and something I consider to be human nature in most everyone. Although I have not seen all the terrible things this world holds I have been exposed to tragedy and death, which most have. This could be an outcome of the world we all