Understanding the Action
Epictetus on our need to prepare ourselves for the actions we take
The Stoics taught that too often we become unhappy or are thrown off because we do not understand basic principles of life. Epictetus’ most famous teaching, that some things are within our control and others aren’t, is usually referenced as one of the single-most important statements within Stoic philosophy.
But not far after that entry in the Enchiridion is another entry that goes to the heart of life and the actions we take.
In the Enchiridion 4, Epictetus starts out and states:
“When you are going to take in hand any act, remind yourself what kind of an act it is.”
Too often , the actions we take are done without much forethought as they have become habitual to an extent. We don’t think about what happens at the market, we just say that we need groceries and go to the market. But what Epictetus is reminding his students is the need to understand the nature of the act, to truly prepare oneself for it. It is not as simple as “I am going to go to the market.” It is more along the lines of “I am going to go to the market, and that involves me fighting off crowds, trying to find the proper food I want (which they may be out of), standing in a potentially long line, packing the car with the groceries, and driving all the way home to unload them.”
Epictetus is stressing the need to look deeper and understand the action that needs to be performed. He uses the act of bathing as his example:
“If you are going to bathe, place before yourself what happens in the bath: some splashing the water, others pushing against one another, others abusing one another, and some stealing: and thus with more safety you will undertake the matter, if you say to yourself, I now intend to bathe, and to maintain my will in a manner conformable to nature.”
The point Epictetus is trying to make to his students is that we need to remind ourselves exactly what it is we are potentially getting ourselves into, that we can have this easily idealized version in our heads of the task we need to complete, but at any moment, something can happen during that action to upset us, throw us off, annoy, sadden, etc. The world is filled with possibilities and by not thinking ahead and truly understanding what we’re getting ourselves into, we open ourselves up to negative emotions.
He finishes:
“And so you will do in every act: for thus if any hindrance to bathing shall happen, let this thought be ready: it was not this only that I intended, but I intended also to maintain my will in a way conformable to nature; but I shall not maintain it so, if I am vexed at what happens.”
Our goal is to be able to see the actions for what they are and what they entail. By thinking ahead of what possible experiences are engrained within the action, we mentally prepare ourselves not only for the action, but also remind ourselves of our own actions and feelings that can and possibly will arise from the act, and can therefore better understand ourselves and prepare to regulate it.
As Epictetus said, not everything is under our control, but we do have the power of choice and we can choose how we will respond.