Great attention is always given to the moral importance of our deeds , but less so to the moral power of our words and their effects . Many people feel compelled to voice any and every passing feeling , thought , or impression they have , they randomly dump the contents of their minds without regard to the consequences .
When we babble about every idea that occurs or crosses our minds , big or small , we will easily get lost in mindless talk . We all need to be constantly on our guards for not falling into the traps of frivolous talk, Way better to be silent or speak sparingly than talking just for the sake of saying anything , we end up mostly saying trivial things , thus turning trivial and small minded ourselves.
One can not and should not strive to attain higher status in life , whether intellectually or socially by limiting most of his verbosity and speech to criticizing and demeaning all around him , these are destructive feelings , not harmonious nor adequate to anyone striving for a happier and more accomplished life for himself and those around him .
Let's not hide ourselves behind some official education and complex text books , let's not show that through these we have learned to think better , to be more discriminating and more reflective people . Books and training manuals are undeniably good training tools for our minds , they help our methodologies , but it would be a grave mistake , to consider that we can achieve goals and make good progress in life and happiness simply by having internalized and memorized their contents .
The morally trained , rather than resenting or dodging their current life situation and duties , give thanks to them , and fully immerse themselves in their duties to their families , friends , neighbors and jobs , to their universality and the world . When we succumb to whining and grumpiness , we diminish our possibilities , and live a grim life .
The over evaluation of money , status and competition , poisons our personal relations . The flourishing life cannot be achieved until we learn how to moderate our desires and realize how superficial , transient and passing they are .
Many historians , philosophers especially the stoic ones among them , have worked with and translated the enduring appeal and widespread works and ideas of Epictetus . I chose to rely mostly on the excellent translations and interpretations of S. Lebell , greatly inspiring my actual blog . My many thanks to her and to all my good readers as always .
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