Indiosyncratic Judgement (Epictetus Handbook sections 1-20)

What Epictetus makes reference is actually true. "What upsets people is not things themselves, but their judgements about the things" (Epitectus). I would like to open with this, and specially about death. It is often that we see death as a bad thing. In this, Epitectus has a point. we don't know what happens after death, ther is no reason for us to refer to death as a dangerous and frightful word. Maybe after we die, there is some kind of Paradise, and all the way long, we have been daring to die. We tend to view everyhting that we think "bad" will always harm us. 

Epitectus alludes mainly to this: "Remember that what is insulting is not the person who abuses you or hits you, but the judgement about them that they are insulting. So when someone irritates you be aware that what irritates you is your own belief (Epitectus). 

What does he really mean by this? Is it really true that what they say is not really what hurts, but rather the attitude,the tone, and the voice? It is is your own belief on irritation, because what is actually irritating you, is the fact that that person is yelling at your face, or punching you for any kind of reason. So it means that our brain is actually telling us: "Hey, this guy is abusing me", and so this is the reason it bothers you. 

It is the simple fact that they are actually abusing or hurting no matter what. 

"Remember that you are an actor in a play, which is as the playwright wants it to be: short if he wants it short. If he wants you to play a beggar, play even this part skillfully" (Epitectus). 

So what this means is that even if you are asinged by God-or destiny any job, you might as well do this right. Any job, be it simple, or humble must be done correctly, with the best efforts in mind. Mediocracy is not accepted. You are asigned a street sweeper, and there  is nothing you can do about it. You might just sweep the street the best you can do it, so at the end of the day, you feel satisfied that you did a good job, even when you are just a street sweeper. It is amazing! To feel satisfaction even by doing a cheap job. Yes, it is possible. You don't have to be the president to be satisfied, you just have to be yourself. 

In the end, life is how you judge it, and how you interpret it. It's a book full of messages. You can interpret anyway you please, and anyway you feel is what you want to percieve.