The First Lesson

This concise manual begins by describing what is commonly called the “Dichotomy of Control”.

Enchiridion 1:

There are things which are within our power, and there are things which are beyond our power.

This doesn’t seem to be wisdom of the highest order, does it? The word “truism” comes to mind. It goes on describing what is in our power.

Within our power are opinion, aim, desire, aversion, and, in one word, whatever affairs are our own.

The banality continues. However, the third line gets interesting.

Beyond our power are body, property, reputation, office, and, in one word, whatever are not properly our own affairs.

That Can’t Be Right!

It’s at this point modern sensibilities take exception. Even those who study Stoicism in earnest come to disagreement over this.

“Well, I may not be able to control my body completely but I have partial control. I can eat well, exercise, get the rest I need.”

“Surely, I may not be able to control my reputation fully but I have partial control. I can smile, be friendly, speak kindly to strangers.”

“Of course, I can’t control how much I earn with impunity but I have partial control. I can work hard, put in the hours, apply for jobs that pay higher wages.”

Partial Control Doesn’t Exist

There is no ‘partial control.’ The Dichotomy is binary. On or off. Control or no control.

The partial control in the above sentiments refers to making choices to engage in specific behaviours. We can choose to eat well, to exercise, and to get the rest we believe is necessary. This does not mean we control our health. We influence our health through our choices. Influence is not control. It’s not even partial control. We intend for our choices to achieve certain results; those results are not in our control. We make choices and events unfold as they may.

Our bodies respond to the stimuli to which they are exposed, either by our own choosing or by happenstance. If we get cut the body heals the wound. If we bask under the summer sun the body perspires. If we bite, chew, and swallow food the body digests most of it, assimilating the amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids into the tissues, and excretes what’s unused. If we regularly lift heavy weights the body develops muscle tissue. All this occurs naturally barring any organic issues (e.g. disease, hormonal imbalance).

I’ll go no further with examples for reputation or wealth. It’s abundantly clear. The body is listed first as what is beyond our power. This should quell any claims of control over any externals whatsoever. It should but it hasn’t.

Let’s Dig Further

As the Enchiridion is a brief sketch of a much larger body of work we can refer to the Discourses for clarification. In Discourses, Book IV, Chapter One (Of Freedom) Epictetus goes into greater detail. For example (bold font added for emphasis):

Consider, then, whether we have nothing or everything in our own sole power — or whether some things are in our own power and some in that of others. “What do you mean?” When you would have your body perfect, is it in your own power, or is it not? “It is not.” When you would be healthy? “It is not.” When you would be handsome? “It is not.” When you would live or die? “It is not.” Body then is not our own; but is subject to everything that proves stronger than itself. “Agreed.”

And another:

“What then if, when I am exerting myself to walk, anyone should restrain me?” What part of you can he restrain? Can he restrain your assent? “No, but my body.” Yes, as he may a stone. “Be it so. But still I cease to walk.” And who claimed that walking was one of the actions that cannot be restrained? For I only said that your exerting yourself towards it could not be restrained. But wherever the body and its assistance are essential, you have already heard that nothing is in your power. “Be this, too, agreed.”

Photo by Nazmi Zaim on Unsplash

And one more:

“Is not my hand my own?” It is a part of you, but it is by nature clay, liable to restraint, to compulsion; a slave to everything stronger than itself.

The use of our body and anything that requires “its assistance” is not within our power. How is it still argued that we can control, or even partially control, the achievement of any external result?

I put it like this: even if the achievement of an external result depended merely on our taking a single breath the only thing within our power would be to have the aim, desire, and intention to draw that breath. That we breathe in any particular moment is not within our power. We breathe, fate permitting.

What’s Left?

So, according to Epictetus and the Stoics we have such little power that even our own body is not ours to command. If we can’t even rely on the body’s ability to draw breath from one moment to the next what’s left for us?

With so much beyond our power we need concern ourselves with only one thing: our prohairesis. Prohairesis (ancient Greek) means “choice”, “volition”, “will”, or “intention”. Epictetus considered our prohairesis to be “the very essence” of ourselves.² This is the only power we have. It’s also the only power we need.

Before exploring how to use our faculty of choice wisely we’ll look at why accepting such a limited view of what’s within our power is so important to becoming what I call a Stoic Strength Athlete.

Someone like that…an athlete in the greatest of all contests — the struggle not to be overwhelmed by anything that happens.³ (Meditations 3.4)

That’s next. See you then.