The Art of Living summary

Take a moment to look back at the past 24 hours – did you have a good day or did you have a bad day? To answer that question, it really depends on how you relate to yourself and the world around you.

Let’s say you had a bad day, a very bad one. You woke up too late, had a hectic and rainy commute, and then had to handle an endless stream of minor annoyances and clueless colleagues. Maybe, after work, things got worse. Perhaps your bike was stolen and your partner left you for someone new.

A firefighter rushes in to rescue a family from a burning building; a doctor performs a complex and life-saving surgery; a parent teaches her child the difference between right and wrong. Sometimes, the world presents us with duties that are obviously of the utmost importance.

But, more often than not, the day-to-day can feel mundane, or even frivolous. After all, life isn’t all exciting actions and honorable sacrifices – most of the time it’s spent making meals, doing chores, and meeting friends and family.

Diogenes lived a simple life. This Greek philosopher didn’t concern himself with material things or social status. In fact, he very pointedly avoided them altogether.

For clothes, he wore plain and rustic rags. For a home, he chose a barrel in the town square. And for meals, he merely ate whatever was handed to him. Yet, despite these meager conditions, Diogenes was happy. 

Imagine you want to compete in the Olympic Games. What’s more, you want to do more than just compete – you want to win. It’s an admirable goal. But, before you can take home the Gold, consider the steps you must take to earn it.

First, you must take on a rigorous fitness regime. You must start each morning with an elaborate stretching routine and fill each afternoon with hours of calisthenics and weight lifting. Next, you must eat a healthy diet and give up wine. Finally, you must remain strictly focused on your goal – until you win, nothing else can matter.

Who are you? It seems like a straightforward question – but it’s not.

Think about it. You’re not just your name or even your own personal subjectivity. The truth is, you’re actually defined by your place in an intricate and ordered network of relationships. You’re a son or daughter to your father; a brother or sister to your sibling; a citizen to your country; and a countryman to your fellow citizen.

Virtue can sound like an old-fashioned or stuffy term. The word itself conjures a whole range of images: from a pious nun to an eco-conscious consumer buying organic produce and driving the most fuel-efficient car.

Yet, for Epictetus, being virtuous meant something more than following strict religious doctrine or sticking to the latest rules about living an ethical life. For the Stoic, virtue is more of a process. It’s something that emerges over time as you align your actions, your beliefs, and your internal moral code.