Stockdale on Stoicism 29

This self-knowledge that you have betrayed yourself, destroyed yourself, is the very worst harm that can befall a Stoic. Epictetus says:

—"No one comes to his fall because of another's deed." 

—"No one is evil without loss or damage." 

—"No man can do wrong with impunity."

I call this whole personal guilt package that Epictetus relied upon, "the reliability of the retribution of the guilty conscience." 

As I sometimes say, "There can be no such thing as a 'victim'; you can only be a 'victim' of yourself." Remember:

—Controlling your emotions can be empowering. 

—Your inner self is what you make it. 

—Refuse to want to fear, and you start acquiring a constancy of character that makes it impossible for another to do you wrong. 

Somebody asked Epictetus: "What is the fruit of all these doctrines?" 

He answered with three sharp words: "Tranquility, Fearlessness, and Freedom." 

—from James B. Stockdale, The Stoic Warrior's Triad 

IMAGE: Theodoor Galle, Epictetus (1605)