Enchiridion of Epictetus

I was going to ask you about the application of the dichotomy of control in firefighting.

So that's the idea that one of the first things Epictetus says in the Enchiridion, I believe, is there are some things in your power and some things that are not.

and so things just pop up that you have zero control over now you have the ability to react to them but if you focus on the oh why me why me aspect you're not going to get anywhere and I'm sure that has to be something that you've learned or automatically dealt with as a leader in wildland fire

yeah so in the military realm it's referred to as embrace the suck in the stoic Realm is called the obstacle is the way you know we're going to have obstacles no matter where we are in fire.

But some passages in the classic stoic works are shocking to the modern mind.

For example, let's read section 3 of the Enchiridion, the famous book by Epictetus.

With regard to whatever objects give you delight, are useful, or are deeply loved, remember to tell yourself of what general nature they are, beginning from the most insignificant things.

If, for example, you are fond of a specific ceramic cup, Remind yourself that it is only ceramic cups in general of which you are fond.

Epictetus puts it as plainly as it can be put by anyone.

In Tony Long's translation of the Enchiridion, Epictetus says, it is not things themselves that trouble people, but their opinions about things.

Now, that line gets used like a magic spell, almost as a way to dismiss emotion, as if noticing that distinction is the same as doing it mentally.

But it isn't the same.