Given birth to a slave, the Roman Stoic philosopher Epictetus (c. 55-135 AD) trained that mental independence is supreme, since it can liberate one anywhere, even in a jail. In How to End up being Totally free, A. A. Long-one from the world’s leading regulators on Stoicism and a pioneer in its impressive contemporary revival-provides an excellent new model of Epictetus’s celebrated guideline towards the Stoic philosophy of existence (the Encheiridion) plus a selection of related reflections in his Discourses.

Independence, for Epictetus, is certainly about How to Be Free: A HISTORICAL Guide towards the Stoic Existence not a human being right or a politics prerogative but a mental and ethical accomplishment, a gift that we alone can bestow on ourselves. We can all be free, but only when we figure out how to assign paramount value to what we can control (our motivations and reactions), deal with what we can not control with equanimity, and view our situations as opportunities to do well and become well, no real matter what happens to us through misfortune or the actions of other folks.

How exactly to Be Free features splendid brand-new translations and a powerful introduction that sets Epictetus in context and describes the importance of Stoic freedom today. The effect is an unrivaled introduction to this powerful method of managing feelings and handling life’s situations, from your most ordinary to the most demanding.