Epictetus Enchiridion
Epictetus: When anyone shows himself overly confident in…
When anyone shows himself overly confident in ability to understand and interpret the works of Chrysippus, say to yourself, " Unless Chrysippus had written obscurely, this person would have had no subject for his vanity. But what do I desire?
The passage follows a public-domain translation of the Enchiridion. The reading beside it is ours.
Expertise can easily become a costume. Someone who makes a show of interpreting difficult books, technical language, or obscure ideas may be more interested in appearing superior than in becoming wiser. Epictetus urges a useful private question: what am I actually after here? If the answer is admiration, winning an argument, or proving that others are less informed, the knowledge is serving vanity. Real study has a different aim. We learn so that we can think more clearly, make better choices, and be more useful to other people. That means you do not need to compete with every person who cites a book you have not read or uses jargon you do not know. Stay curious, ask honest questions, and return to the purpose of learning. Today, when you feel tempted to display what you know, ask whether your words will clarify the issue or merely decorate your ego.
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