On Constancy 5

. . . "Then sitting in prison I say: 'The man who cries out in this way neither hears what words mean, nor understands what is said, nor does he care at all to know what philosophers say or what they do. Let him alone.'

"But now he says to the prisoner, 'Come out from your prison.' If you have no further need of me in prison, I come out: if you should have need of me again, I will enter the prison. 

"'How long will you act thus?' So long as reason requires me to be with the body: but when reason does not require this, take away the body, and fare you well. Only we must not do it inconsiderately, nor weakly, nor for any slight reason; for, on the other hand, God does not wish it to be done, and he has need of such a world and such inhabitants in it. But if he sounds the signal for retreat, as he did to Socrates, we must obey him who gives the signal, as if he were a general.

"'Well, then, ought we to say such things to the many?' Why should we? Is it not enough for a man to be persuaded himself? When children come clapping their hands and crying out, 'Today is the good Saturnalia,' do we say, 'The Saturnalia are not good?' By no means, but we clap our hands also. Do you also then, when you are not able to make a man change his mind, be assured that he is a child, and clap your hands with him, and if you do not choose to do this, keep silent." . . .

--Epictetus, Discourses 1.29 (tr Long)

As Epictetus mentioned in the previous section, the man who thinks and lives like a philosopher will most likely be mocked and ridiculed. I must understand that this is because others might not understand a very different measure of the good, and they assume that the accumulation of power and influence is in itself desirable.  There is no need to be angry, and no need to engage in conflict. I can continue to live in a way I know to be right and leave these people be.

The tyrant, the one who craves the control of others, may put me in prison, or he may let me out of it. Perhaps he enjoys the display of force at one moment, and the appearance of mercy at another. But note that he cares for the impression, not the content. I can continue to live well, wherever he may put me, because I can make good use of any and every circumstance. I've lost track of the number of times Dorothy Day was arrested or jailed. 

I must always see the good in my circumstances as relative. I should neither desire them for their own sake, nor reject them for their own sake. Whenever they can help me to live well, I must employ them with courage. Whenever they hinder me from excellence, I must be willing to put them aside. This will include my property, my reputation, and even my body itself. 

Again, there can be no place for resentment here, which I increasingly find is one of the greatest obstacles to the Stoic Turn. Whether it be the Roman Saturnalia or our modern version of Christmas, people will often use holidays as a means for greed and gratification. As soon as I hold a grudge about this, I clearly am not doing it right. If I cannot convince others with reason and kindness, I should hold to my own values, and not force them upon others. As soon as I condemn and coerce, I'm embracing the very lust for control over others that I'm trying to avoid.

Written in 4/1999

Image: Cesare Dandini, Personification of Constancy, c. 1634