"If Some Regard You As Important, Distrust Yourself"

Image by TuendeBede from Pixabay

Epictetus’ words are easy to understand, but difficult to practice. Not surprising, given that it’s in our nature to be liked, to gain approval, to be considered valuable.

The problem is that when we accept these opinions, when we consider ourselves to be “important”, we think we’ve “arrived” and achieved some special end-state or level of wisdom.

And that’s when our journey effectively ends. Whether we admit it or not, we think we’ve learned what there is to know. We (mentally) stop and close ourselves off from possibilities.

That idea, that we’ve arrived is, of course, a fallacy. Obtaining your black belt isn’t the end of your journey, it’s simply one more stepping stone. The true masters realize that their education is constant and ongoing, that there is always something more to learn, some nuance yet to be mastered. So considering ourselves to be “important” is the very antithesis of this philosophy.

Better to distrust this notion, and particularly, ourselves if and when we catch ourselves thinking this way. The truth is that, wherever we are, our journeys still have a long way to run.