“Consider who you are. Above all, a human being, carrying no greater power than your own reasoned choice, which oversees all other things, and is free from any other master.”
EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.10.1
I just love that first part of today’s quote in The Daily Stoic book.
“Consider who you are.”
Remember who you are, basically. Remember that you have reasoned choice.
Everything else can be taken from you, but one thing will always be yours and can’t be pried away — your reasoned choice. The most powerful of all your abilities, it’s your “super power” and it “oversees all things”.
No matter how grim the situation you might find yourself in some day, your reasoned choice can help you re-frame it, guide you toward making the right decision, and help you understand the ramifications of your chosen path. It can help you find the perspective you need, to see the situation clearly.
You’ll always have this main superpower of reasoned choice; it can’t be taken away. They can take everything else, but not this. It will help you understand which battles to join, and which to avoid. And that makes you invincible.
