Mastering your desires
Performing your duties
Learning to think clearly about yourself and your relations within the larger community of humanity

Epictetus’ moral doctrines:

• Know what you can control and what you cannot
• Stick with your own business
• Recognize mere appearances for what they are
• Desire demands its own attainment
• See things for what they are
• Harmonize your actions with the way life really is
• Events don’t hurt us, but our views of them can
• No shame, no blame
• Create your own merit
• Focus on your main duty
• Quietly accept events as they occur
• Your will is always within your power
• Make full use of what happens to you
• Care for what you happen to have- there is nothing to lose
• The good life is the life of inner serenity
• Pay no attention to things that don’t concern you
• Conform your wants and expectations to reality
• Approach life as if it were a banquet
• Avoid adopting other peoples’ negative views
• Always act well the part that is given you
• Everything happens for a good reason
• Happiness can only be found within
• No one can hurt you
• Spiritual progress is only made through confronting death and calamity
• Implant in yourself the ideals you ought to cherish
• Those who seek a life of wisdom will be ridiculed
• Seeking to please others is a perilous trap
• Character matters more than reputation
• All advantages have their price
• Make the will of nature your own
• Self-mastery is the target at which the divine will wishes to aim
• Treasure your mind, cherish your reason, hold to your purpose
• Consider what comes first, then what follows, and then act
• Our duties are revealed by our relations with one another
• The essence of faithfulness
• Events themselves are impersonal and indifferent
• Never suppress a generous impulse
• Clearly define the person you want to be
• Speak only with good purpose
• Stay away from most popular entertainment
• Be careful about the company you keep
• Take care of your body but don’t show it off
• Avoid casual sex
• Refrain from defending your reputation or intentions
• Consider yourself with dignity
• Embody your personal ideals by emulating role models
• Exercise discretion while conversing
• Prefer enduring satisfaction to immediate gratification
• Take a stand
• Common courtesy and logic each have their place
• Self-mastery depends on self-honesty
• Safeguard your reason
• Observe proper proportions and moderation
• Decency and inner beauty are more valuable than appearance
• Your reason is more important than your body
• Mistreatment comes from false impressions
• Everything has two handles
• Clear thinking is vital
• Call things by their right names
• Wisdom is revealed through action, not talk
• If you wish to test your endurance, do it for yourself, not others
• Wisdom depends on personal vigilance
• Living wisdom is more important than knowing about it
• Learn to apply basic principles to particular circumstances in accordance with nature
• Start living your ideals