Bear and Forbear
Epictetus is considered the most influential philosopher of
Stoicism in the Roman Empire. His favourite saying was "Bear and Forbear."
This, simply stated, means to bear all that befalls you, and forbear, that
is, refrain from replying in any emotional or vengeful manner. In our time, this school of
acting has been parodied as,"grin and bear it."
Origen relates an anecdote about Epictetus which, if true,
illustrates the fortitude of Epictetus. When his master was twisting his leg one day,
Epictetus smiled and quietly said, "You will break it"; and when his master did break it,
only observed, "Did I not tell you that you would do so?"
A More Profound View
The starting point for Epictetus is that we cannot control what
happens to us. Nor can we control our responses to what happens to us, not our actions,
not our feelings. But we can, with practice, control the way we feel about
what happens, and what we do.
So often, in the Sayings, we meet images of attending a feast, and are
admonished to accept what is offered as a good guest. Or we are presented life as in a
play, and directed to play our roles. Or he discusses not to strive, take what comes, for
what value is the laurel wreath of Caesar?
In a world of slavery, in many ways not unlike our own, is not the only place free of
torture the very secret recesses in ourselves?
Another View
In another example of the fallacy of composition, what is good for the
individual, is not good for the collective. As with most religions, or indeed any philosophy
or world view that promises an afterlife, Stoicism tends to vitiate any revolutionary
activity now, in this world.
Maybe now, at the end of history, extolled not only by apologists for the political
status quo, but also those for the singularity, maybe only a view of life offerring some
solace from the subjugation from the forces of either economics, or technology is
rational? Especially for those masses that do not benefit from the riches of the new
Romans, whether of capitalism, or technology.
Maybe Stocism is the worldview for today. Certainly no rational individual
would cavil at this best of all possible worlds that we live in, and that we are constantly
moving towards.
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