Epictetus - a pondering...

Epictetus –Handbook, 5.

2 “Ench”, 1.5.1.1

"Circumstances* do not trouble* men; but [their] conclusions* concerning circumstances do."

         Tara¿ssei tou\ß aÓnqrw¿pouß ouj ta» pra¿gmata, aÓlla» 2 ta» peri« tw◊n pragma¿twn do/gmata.

    

NOTA BENE:

FlexLex (Flexibility lexicon):

* Things/circumstances = facts; deeds; events; circumstances

*trouble = disturb; disquiet; stir up; confound; alarm; frighten; throw into disorder; agitate; distract

*conclusions = decree to be true; judgments; decisions; dogma

PROBLEMS concerning possible word choices: (1) “opinions” has Platonic history; (2) “judgments” has Kantian history

Emphatic formula = Tara¿ssei (verb=disturb)+ do/gmata (subject=opinions)

Several possible translations:

• “What upsets people is not things themselves but their judgments about the things.”
• Not disturbing to men are things, but rather opinions (cf. Plato) about those things.
•  Circumstances do not frighten people; but their judgments about those circumstances sure do.
• Things do not trouble* men; but [their] conclusions* concerning things do.

Commentary: Any limitation we have is the creations of our own minds, which means that our destiny is, truly, in our own hands.