“A podium and a prison is each a place, one high and the other low, but in either place your freedom of choice can be maintained if you so wish.”
EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.6.25
At some future time in your life, you might find yourself at a podium — or some other manifestation of great success, with the accompanying recognition of your achievements and status.
Perhaps before or after that event, you might find yourself in a prison — or some other version of a lowly and disgraceful place, somewhere you’d really rather not be, but which you can’t escape from.
The only thing that these two scenarios have in common is that you’ll always have your freedom of choice. You might not be able to control or direct your situation as much as you’d like, and you might even find yourself trapped, either literally or figuratively. But you should remain confident. Why? Because freedom of choice overcomes all, in the end.
Using this freedom means that you can effectively choose your own adventure. And you should. You should absolutely use reason to end your troubles. Always remember that this freedom of choice is available to you in all situations, whether high or low.
