Oct 28 • General discussion
Epictetus, the Story We Tell, and One Small Correction
Epictetus said we are not disturbed by things, but by the views we take of them. That line reads like philosophy and sometimes it feels distant — until it shows up in a crowded day as something very immediate.
Yesterday, a tiny inconvenience (a missed connection) swelled into a story in my head: I started telling myself I was unlucky, disorganised, and falling behind. It was one of those narratives that makes the noise louder than the facts. Remembering Epictetus, I tried a small correction: I labelled the story—“story of bad luck”—and then I asked, “What’s one practical step I can take right now?” Naming it felt like opening a window.
Practice (two minutes):
- Notice the story you’re telling about what happened (name it in a phrase: “I’m unlucky,” “I can’t cope,” etc.).
- Ask: is that a fact or an interpretation? Say one sentence.
- Choose one small corrective action you can do within the next hour.
- Share the phrase + the action below.
Drop your phrase and action in the comments — I’ll highlight a few so we can learn from how naming shifts the moment.
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Epictetus, the Story We Tell, and One Small Correction
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