How to Be Free

1. True Freedom Lies Within: Control What Is Yours

Keep this in mind then: if you think you own only what is yours, and that you do not own what is not yours, as you really don’t, no one will ever put pressure on you, no one will impede you, you will not reproach anyone, you will not blame anyone, you will not do a single thing reluctantly, +no one will harm you, you will have no enemy,+ because nothing harmful will happen to you.

Identify what's yours. Epictetus, born a slave, teaches that true freedom isn't about external circumstances like legal status, wealth, or reputation. It's about recognizing the fundamental division between things "up to us" and things "not up to us." Only the former are truly ours and within our control.

Things not yours. Everything outside your mind and will is not truly yours and is subject to external forces, chance, or other people's power. Clinging to these external things as if they were your own leads inevitably to frustration and suffering. Examples include:

• Your body and health
• Property and possessions
• Reputation and social standing
• Other people's actions and opinions

Focus on your will. The only domain where you possess absolute freedom is your inner self – your judgment, motivation, desire, and aversion (your "will" or prohairesis). By directing your energy and expectations solely towards this inner realm, you become impervious to external impediments and achieve genuine freedom.

2. Your Opinion, Not Events, Causes Distress

It is not things themselves that trouble people, but their opinions about things.

Challenge your judgments. We often blame external events or other people for our unhappiness, but Epictetus asserts the real source of distress is our own interpretation and judgment of those events. Death, for example, isn't inherently terrible; it's the opinion that death is terrible that causes fear and suffering.

Impressions are just appearances. When something happens, it presents itself to our mind as an "impression" (phantasia). These impressions are neutral. It is our subsequent "assent" or judgment about the impression that assigns it value (good/bad, desirable/undesirable) and triggers emotional responses.

Pause and question. To gain control, practice pausing before reacting to an impression. Ask yourself: "Is this impression about something up to me or not up to me?" If it's not up to you, remind yourself, "Not my business." This creates space to choose a rational response rather than being swept away by automatic judgments.

3. Desire Only What You Can Secure

Whoever wants to be free, therefore, should wish for nothing or avoid nothing that is up to other people. Failing that, one is bound to be a slave.

Restrict your desires. Misery arises when we fail to get what we desire or encounter what we wish to avoid. Since most things people desire (wealth, status, health, approval) are not entirely within our control, desiring them makes us vulnerable to disappointment and external masters.

Avoid external aversions. Similarly, being strongly averse to things like poverty, illness, or death, which are not fully in our power to avoid, guarantees suffering. Shift your aversion instead to things that are up to you and are contrary to nature, such as making poor judgments or acting unjustly.

Cultivate inner contentment. By limiting your desires and aversions to the things that are truly up to you – your own will and judgments – you ensure that your expectations align with your capabilities. This is the path to freedom from frustration and the security of always getting what you truly want (a well-ordered mind).

4. Accept What Happens: Wish Things As They Are

Don’t ask for things to happen as you would like them to, but wish them to happen as they actually do, and you will be all right.

Harmony with nature. The universe operates according to a natural order or "divine law." Resisting this order by wishing things were different is irrational and futile. True peace comes from aligning your will with the way things unfold, accepting events as they happen.

Events are neutral. External events themselves are indifferent; they are neither inherently good nor bad. They simply are. It is our resistance or attachment to them that creates suffering. By accepting what is, you free yourself from the emotional turmoil of fighting reality.

Find opportunity in everything. Every situation, whether seemingly good or bad, presents an opportunity to exercise your will and practice virtue. Illness is an opportunity for endurance; rudeness, for patience. By embracing events as they are, you turn potential obstacles into chances for inner growth and demonstrate your freedom.

5. Good and Bad Reside Only in Your Will

What, then, is your own? The management of impressions. So whenever you are in harmony with nature in the way you perform this function, that’s the time to preen yourself; for then you will have a good thing that is your own to preen yourself on.

Value is internal. Epictetus presents a radical classification of values: only things related to your will and character are truly good or bad. Virtue, wisdom, and a well-ordered mind are the only intrinsic goods. Faultiness, folly, and a disordered mind are the only intrinsic bads.

External things are indifferent. Everything else – health, wealth, reputation, life, death – falls into the category of "indifferents." They have no inherent moral value. They can be used well or poorly, but possessing or lacking them does not make you a good or bad person, nor does it determine your happiness.

Focus on managing impressions. Since goodness lies in the proper use of your mind, your primary task is the "management of impressions." This means evaluating incoming thoughts and perceptions rationally, assenting only to truth, and directing your desires and aversions appropriately. This internal work is the only source of genuine value and self-worth.

6. Play Your Assigned Role Skillfully

Your job is to put on a splendid performance of the role you have been given, but selecting the role is the job of someone else.

Life is a play. Epictetus uses the analogy of a theatrical play to illustrate our place in the world. We are assigned roles – beggar, official, private citizen, parent, child – by a higher power (the "producer"). We do not choose our roles or the length of the play.

Excellence in performance. Our responsibility is not to complain about the role we've been given, but to perform it to the best of our ability, with skill and integrity. This means fulfilling our duties and relationships according to nature, regardless of the difficulty or perceived status of the role.

Focus on your part. Don't get distracted by wishing for a different role or comparing your part to others. Your worth is measured by how well you play the part you have, not by the part itself. This perspective frees you from envy and resentment, allowing you to find dignity and purpose in your current circumstances.

7. Seek No External Approval or Esteem

If you ever find yourself looking for outside approval in order to curry favor, you can be sure that you have lost your way.

Inner validation is sufficient. True worth comes from cultivating your inner character and living in accordance with reason and nature. Seeking approval, honor, or esteem from others means placing your happiness and self-worth in their hands, making you dependent and unfree.

Be content being a philosopher. If you choose the path of philosophy (living according to Stoic principles), be content with simply being a philosopher internally. Don't seek the title or outward appearance of one to impress others. Your actions, flowing naturally from your principles, will be the true demonstration.

Ignore criticism and praise. Don't be troubled if others criticize you, or flattered if they praise you. Their opinions are not up to you and do not define your inner state or value. Focus on your own judgment and conscience; if you are acting rightly, external opinions are irrelevant.

8. Anticipate Misfortune to Remain Undisturbed

Set before your eyes every day death and exile and everything +else+ that looks terrible, especially death. Then you will never have any mean thought or be too keen on anything.

Practice negative visualization. A key Stoic practice is to regularly contemplate potential misfortunes, such as death, illness, poverty, or loss of loved ones. This isn't morbid pessimism, but a way to prepare the mind and reduce the shock and distress if these events occur.

Reduce attachment. By contemplating the impermanence of external things and relationships, you lessen your attachment to them. This makes you less likely to be devastated when they are lost and helps you appreciate them more fully while you have them, without clinging.

Strengthen your resolve. Facing potential difficulties in your mind strengthens your inner resilience. You realize that even in the worst external circumstances, your inner freedom – your ability to choose your response and maintain your character – remains untouched. This practice fosters courage and tranquility.

9. Focus on Inner Progress, Not Outward Show

If you are negligent now and lazy and always procrastinating, and settling on the day after tomorrow and the next as when you will take yourself in hand, you will fail to see that you are making no progress but spending your entire life as an ordinary person until you die.

Commit to self-improvement. The philosophical life is one of continuous "progress" (prokopē). This progress isn't measured by acquiring knowledge or debating theories, but by consistently applying principles to your daily life and refining your character and judgments.

The struggle is now. Don't postpone the work of self-mastery. Every moment presents a "contest" or opportunity to apply your principles. Procrastination means remaining an "ordinary person," tossed about by external events and emotions, never achieving true freedom.

Be your own critic. A person making progress criticizes only themselves when things go wrong. They don't blame others or external circumstances. They are vigilant, watching their own thoughts and impulses as if guarding against an enemy attack, constantly striving to align their will with nature.

10. Live Your Philosophy Through Action

Don’t ever describe yourself as a philosopher or talk much among ordinary people about your philosophical principles; simply do what the principles prescribe.

Show, don't tell. True understanding of philosophy is demonstrated through actions, not words or intellectual debate. Like sheep that digest their food internally and produce wool and milk, let your philosophical principles be digested within and manifest outwardly in your behavior.

Avoid ostentation. Don't show off your knowledge or ascetic practices. If you choose a frugal lifestyle, live it quietly. If you endure hardship, do so for your own sake, not for others to admire. Humility and genuine practice are more valuable than outward display.

Be unacknowledged. Emulate Socrates, who was so unassuming that people brought students to him to be introduced to other philosophers. Be content to live rightly without needing recognition or titles. Your character is your only true credential.

11. Recognize Your Innate, Unconquerable Dignity

Having looked into it all, I find that no one has authority over me. I have been liberated by God, I have gotten to know his commands, no one has power any longer to enslave me, I have the right kind of emancipator and the right kind of judges.”

God-given freedom. Epictetus believed that our capacity for rational thought and the ability to control our will is a divine gift. This inner faculty is inherently free and cannot be taken away by any external power, not even a tyrant.

Unimpeded will. Your will (prohairesis) is by nature unimpeded and unconstrained. No one can force you to assent to a falsehood or desire something against your deepest judgment. External forces can impede your body or possessions, but never your core self.

Master of yourself. By understanding and exercising this innate freedom, you become your own master. You are no longer a slave to fear, desire for external things, or the opinions of others. You are liberated by reason and your connection to the divine order, possessing an unconquerable dignity regardless of your external circumstances.

Last updated: May 5, 2025