Epictetus Enchiridion
Epictetus: Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of…
Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a kind as the author pleases to make it. If short, of a short one; if long, of a long one. If it is his pleasure you should act a poor man, a cripple, a governor, or a private person, see that you act it naturally. For this is your business, to act well the character assigned you; to choose it is another's.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of the Enchiridion. The reading beside it is ours.
You do not get to choose every role life assigns. You may become a caregiver, a newcomer, an unemployed person, a manager, a patient, or someone facing a public setback. Much misery comes from treating the role itself as a verdict on your worth. Epictetus offers a different standard: the role is not the main thing; how you play it is. A small part can be performed with integrity, and a grand part can be performed badly. You may not have chosen the length of the difficult season or the circumstances surrounding it. But you can choose whether to be reliable, fair, brave, and humane within it. This is not fatalism. You can seek a better role when action is available. Until then, do not neglect the one currently in your hands. Ask today: What does this situation ask me to do well, regardless of whether I would have chosen it?
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