Like many stoics, Epictetus agrees that the main goal in life is to achieve tranquility and live virtuously in accordance with nature. However, in order to do this, one must train themselves to not be swept away by their emotions. Therefore, when Epictetus states, “Do not seek to have events happen as you want them to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen, and your life will go well” (Epictetus, 1999, 8), he emphasizes the importance of reflecting inward and assessing what is within your control that will allow you to deal with it (Epictetus, 1999, 10). Placing too much importance on a desired outcome can lead to disappointment when the outcome obtained is not the exact one that was envisioned or one is met with difficulties that hinder one’s progress in achieving their goals.

According to Epictetus, external desires such as fame, wealth, reputation etc, are not things that are within one’s capacity to influence and the importance placed on them should instead be directed to internal desires that we can control, such as our opinions, thoughts and actions (Epictetus, 1999, 1). Doing so greatly lessens the likelihood of feeling unhappiness as it ensures that the actions being taken and emotional responses to a given event is appropriate. Further discussed in “The Encheiridion”, Epictetus suggests that when an individual responds to their circumstances, it is best to first take into account what steps are necessary for achieving their goal and what steps are to be taken after the fact (Epictetus, 1999, 29). This ensures that one’s focus is being directed at their actions towards their goal as opposed to the outcome they cannot control, further supporting Epictetus’ argument of letting go of how you would like for things to happen and directing your attention to events as they happen instead.

Epictetus asserts that when an individual takes action, be it towards one’s personal goals, one’s relationships or an event that has presented itself, being able to assess what leads to it and what actions will be necessary after the fact prevents one from giving up when met with difficulties. He argues that, “For each action, consider what leads up to it and what follows it and approach it in light of that” (Epictetus, 1999, 29). For example, when setting goals for oneself, it is better to focus on what is required to achieve it rather than the fame, acknowledgement, reputation or whatever else may come along with the outcome.

Following this line of thought from Epictetus, it is explained that when an individual does not take into consideration the actions required to carry out a task, they are too preoccupied with the outcome. Therefore, when they are faced with obstacles, they are more likely to give up because they began the task half heartedly and focused on what was beyond their ability to influence. However, when one takes the time to asses what they are able to take charge of, it minimizes their suffering because they are aware of what they are able to handle and what the appropriate reactions would be when faced with difficulties (Epictetus, 1999, 29).

According to Epictetus, this practice is a key factor in achieving tranquility. “The Encheiridion” outlines the ways in which happiness and tranquility is obtained by having an indifferent attitude and accepting things for what they are as opposed to what you wanted them to be. This stance is shared by other stoics such as Marcus Aurelius, who participated in the stoic technique of meditation. Doing so allowed for a regular reflection of his own thoughts and actions and evaluation of his progress as a stoic. Such a technique is important when seeking to obtain tranquility because it promotes introspective activities necessary in the practice of stoicism. Epictetus further illustrates this notion through the statement, “At each thing that happens to you, remember to turn to yourself and ask what capacity you have for dealing with it” Epictetus, 1999, 10).

Epictetus and other stoics agree on the notion that stoicism is something that must be regularly practiced, not just thought about. The emotional discipline required in stoicism does not mean to repress one’s emotions, but rather to adjust one’s responses so they are proportional to the event. However, it is difficult to do so without practice. Consistent self-evaluation and self-correction aids in minimizing suffering by controlling individual desires (Epictetus, 1999, 2). This belief can be seen a solution to Epictetus’ claim that when a person is faced with difficulties, it is often their own judgments about the situation they find themselves in which is their source of disappointment rather than the situation itself, for example, unhappiness towards concepts such as death (Epictetus, 1999, 5). Epictetus claims then, that in order to achieve tranquility, one must be willing to part with their desires and judgements of things beyond their control (Epictetus, 1999, 29).

Practicing stoic techniques such as indifference, fatalism or techniques used by those like Marcus Aurelius such as meditation, train the mind to focus less excessively on external desires and exercise rational reflection. Epictetus asserts that it is ultimately the ability to distinguish between external and internal desires that allow for an individual to adjust their attitudes to exhibit positive psychological states like that of tranquility.

As discussed by Epictetus in “The Encheiridion,” stoicism requires that one parts with their external desires and focus more on that which is within their control. That way, they are not led astray by expectations of things that are not up to them to decide. This practice of self-reflection and self-correction trains an individual’s mind to place less importance on wanting events to happen in a specific way and more importance on accepting events as they happen, thereby leading to peace of mind. It is through these arguments that Epictetus illustrates the ways in which distinguishing between external and internal desires fulfills stoicism’s ultimate goal of achieving tranquility and living virtuously in accordance with nature.

Epictetus, The Enchiridion (The Handbook), from The Good Life, (ed.) Charles Guignon (Hackett,1999). Cited throughout as Epictetus, 1999, section number.