Chapter XXXIV
by Epictetus • Book 33
This chapter helps you pause before giving in to fleeting temptations and instant gratification. By weighing future regret against the pride of self-restraint, it empowers you to make mindful choices.
“Then bring to your mind both points of time—that in which you shall enjoy the pleasure, and that in which you will repent and reproach yourself, after you have enjoyed it—and set before you, in opposition to these, how you will rejoice and applaud yourself if you abstain.”
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This chapter helps you reconnect with your core resilience when the relentless demands of daily duty leave you exhausted and longing to escape. By remembering that your mind can transform any obstacle into fuel, you will learn to cease wishing for an external retreat and find quiet strength right where you stand.
Chapter XXXVII
This chapter helps you recognize when you are taking on too much to impress others. It encourages you to step back and honor your actual capacity for inner peace.