Chapter 51 of 192
Short Works, Chapter 51: The Enchiridion — LI
by Epictetus · 1m · read by Earbook narrator
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How long will you then still defer thinking yourself worthy of the best things, and in no matter transgressing the distinctive reason? Have you accepted the theorems (rules), which it was your duty to agree to, and have you agreed to them? what teacher then do you still expect that you defer to him the correction of yourself? You are no longer a youth, but already a full-grown man. If then you are negligent and slothful, and are continually making procrastination after procrastination, and proposal (intention) after proposal, and fixing day after day, after which you will attend to yourself, you will not know that you are not making improvement, but you will continue ignorant (uninstructed) both while you live and till you die. Immediately then think it right to live as a full-grown man, and one who is making proficiency, and let everything which appears to you to be the best be to you a law which must not be transgressed. And if anything laborious, or pleasant or glorious or inglorious be presented to you, remember that now is the contest, now are the Olympic games, and they cannot be deferred; and that it depends on one defeat and one giving way that progress is either lost or maintained. Socrates in this way became perfect, in all things improving himself, attending to nothing except to reason. But you, though you are not yet a Socrates, ought to live as one who wishes to be a Socrates.
All chapters of Short Works
- 1The Enchiridion — I
- 2The Enchiridion — II
- 3The Enchiridion — III
- 4The Enchiridion — IV
- 5The Enchiridion — V
- 6The Enchiridion — VI
- 7The Enchiridion — VII
- 8The Enchiridion — VIII
- 9The Enchiridion — IX
- 10The Enchiridion — X
- 11The Enchiridion — XI
- 12The Enchiridion — XII
- 13The Enchiridion — XIII
- 14The Enchiridion — XIV
- 15The Enchiridion — XV
- 16The Enchiridion — XVI
- 17The Enchiridion — XVII
- 18The Enchiridion — XVIII
- 19The Enchiridion — XIX
- 20The Enchiridion — XX
- 21The Enchiridion — XXI
- 22The Enchiridion — XXII
- 23The Enchiridion — XXIII
- 24The Enchiridion — XXIV
- 25The Enchiridion — XXV
- 26The Enchiridion — XXVI
- 27The Enchiridion — XXVII
- 28The Enchiridion — XXVIII
- 29The Enchiridion — XXIX
- 30The Enchiridion — XXX
- 31The Enchiridion — XXXI
- 32The Enchiridion — XXXII
- 33The Enchiridion — XXXIII
- 34The Enchiridion — XXXIV
- 35The Enchiridion — XXXV
- 36The Enchiridion — XXXVI
- 37The Enchiridion — XXXVII
- 38The Enchiridion — XXXVIII
- 39The Enchiridion — XXXIX
- 40The Enchiridion — XL
- 41The Enchiridion — XLI
- 42The Enchiridion — XLII
- 43The Enchiridion — XLIII
- 44The Enchiridion — XLIV
- 45The Enchiridion — XLV
- 46The Enchiridion — XLVI
- 47The Enchiridion — XLVII
- 48The Enchiridion — XLVIII
- 49The Enchiridion — XLIX
- 50The Enchiridion — L
- 51The Enchiridion — LI
- 52The Enchiridion — LII
- 53The Enchiridion — LIII
- 54Fragments — I
- 55Fragments — II
- 56Fragments — III
- 57Fragments — IV
- 58Fragments — V
- 59Fragments — VI
- 60Fragments — VII
- 61Fragments — VIII
- 62Fragments — IX
- 63Fragments — X
- 64Fragments — XI
- 65Fragments — XII
- 66Fragments — XIII
- 67Fragments — XIV
- 68Fragments — XV
- 69Fragments — XVI
- 70Fragments — XVII
- 71Fragments — XVIII
- 72Fragments — XIX
- 73Fragments — XX
- 74Fragments — XXI
- 75Fragments — XXII
- 76Fragments — XXIII
- 77Fragments — XXIV
- 78Fragments — XXV
- 79Fragments — XXVI
- 80Fragments — XXVII
- 81Fragments — XXVIII
- 82Fragments — XXIX
- 83Fragments — XXX
- 84Fragments — XXXI
- 85Fragments — XXXII
- 86Fragments — XXXIII
- 87Fragments — XXXIV
- 88Fragments — XXXV
- 89Fragments — XXXVI
- 90Fragments — XXXVII
- 91Fragments — XXXVIII
- 92Fragments — XXXIX
- 93Fragments — XL
- 94Fragments — XLI
- 95Fragments — XLII
- 96Fragments — XLIII
- 97Fragments — XLIV
- 98Fragments — XLV
- 99Fragments — XLVI
- 100Fragments — XLVII
- 101Fragments — XLVIII
- 102Fragments — XLIX
- 103Fragments — L
- 104Fragments — LI
- 105Fragments — LII
- 106Fragments — LIII
- 107Fragments — LIV
- 108Fragments — LV
- 109Fragments — LVI
- 110Fragments — LVII
- 111Fragments — LVIII
- 112Fragments — LIX
- 113Fragments — LX
- 114Fragments — LXI
- 115Fragments — LXII
- 116Fragments — LXIII
- 117Fragments — LXIV
- 118Fragments — LXV
- 119Fragments — LXVI
- 120Fragments — LXVII
- 121Fragments — LXVIII
- 122Fragments — LXIX
- 123Fragments — LXX
- 124Fragments — LXXI
- 125Fragments — LXXII
- 126Fragments — LXXIII
- 127Fragments — LXXIV
- 128Fragments — LXXV
- 129Fragments — LXXVI
- 130Fragments — LXXVII
- 131Fragments — LXXVIII
- 132Fragments — LXXIX
- 133Fragments — LXXX
- 134Fragments — LXXXI
- 135Fragments — LXXXII
- 136Fragments — LXXXIII
- 137Fragments — LXXXIV
- 138Fragments — LXXXV
- 139Fragments — LXXXVI
- 140Fragments — LXXXVII
- 141Fragments — LXXXVIII
- 142Fragments — LXXXIX
- 143Fragments — XC
- 144Fragments — XCI
- 145Fragments — XCII
- 146Fragments — XCIII
- 147Fragments — XCIV
- 148Fragments — XCV
- 149Fragments — XCVI
- 150Fragments — XCVII
- 151Fragments — XCVIII
- 152Fragments — XCIX
- 153Fragments — C
- 154Fragments — CI
- 155Fragments — CII
- 156Fragments — CIII
- 157Fragments — CIV
- 158Fragments — CV
- 159Fragments — CVI
- 160Fragments — CVII
- 161Fragments — CVIII
- 162Fragments — CIX
- 163Fragments — CX
- 164Fragments — CXI
- 165Fragments — CXII
- 166Fragments — CXIII
- 167Fragments — CXIV
- 168Fragments — CXV
- 169Fragments — CXVI
- 170Fragments — CXVII
- 171Fragments — CXVIII
- 172Fragments — CXIX
- 173Fragments — CXX
- 174Fragments — CXXI
- 175Fragments — CXXII
- 176Fragments — CXXIII
- 177Fragments — CXXIV
- 178Fragments — CXXV
- 179Fragments — CXXVI
- 180Fragments — CXXVII
- 181Fragments — CXXVIII
- 182Fragments — CXXIX
- 183Fragments — CXXX
- 184Fragments — CXXXI
- 185Fragments — CXXXII
- 186Fragments — CXXXIII
- 187Fragments — CXXXIV
- 188Fragments — CXXXV
- 189Fragments — CXXXVI
- 190Fragments — CLXXIX
- 191Fragments — CLXXX
- 192Fragments — CLXXXI