【每日斯多葛】10月25日

October 25th 

TWO TASKS

“What, then, makes a person free from hindrance and self-determining? For wealth doesn’t, neither does high-office, state or kingdom—rather, something else must be found ....... in the case of living, it is the knowledge of how to live.”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.1.62–64

You have two essential tasks in life: to be a good person and to pursue the occupation that you love. Everything else is a waste of energy and a squandering of your potential.

How does one do that? OK, that’s a tougher question. But the philosophy we see from the Stoics makes it simple enough: say no to distractions, to destructive emotions, to outside pressure. Ask yourself: What is it that only I can do? What is the best use of my limited time on this planet? Try to do the right thing when the situation calls for it. Treat other people the way you would hope to be treated. And understand that every small choice and tiny matter is an opportunity to practice these larger principles.

That’s it. That’s what goes into the most important skill of all: how to live.

10月25日 

两项任务

“那么，究竟是什么使一个人不受阻碍、能够自主决定自己的人生呢？财富做不到，高官厚禄做不到，国家或王权也做不到——我们必须寻找别的东西……就生活而言，那就是关于如何生活的知识。”

——爱比克泰德，《论说集》，4.1.62–64

人生中，你有两项最重要的任务：成为一个好人，以及从事你真正热爱的职业。除此之外的一切，都是对精力的浪费，也是对自身潜力的挥霍。

怎样才能做到呢？好吧，这是个更难的问题。不过，斯多葛哲学给出的思路其实相当简单：对各种干扰说不，对破坏性的情绪说不，对外界压力说不。问问自己：有什么事情是只有我才能做的？我在这个世界上有限的时间，怎样使用才最有价值？当情势要求你做正确的事时，就努力去做正确的事。以你希望别人对待你的方式去对待别人。同时要明白，每一个微小的选择、每一件看似不起眼的小事，都是实践这些更大原则的机会。

就是这样。这些共同构成了所有技能中最重要的一项：如何生活。