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February 19
Day 50/365: Epictetus on self-governing laws
Logan
February 19, 2025
Welcome to The Stoic Ledger, a daily money meditation from one of the Stoic sages.
50/365: Epictetus on self-governing laws
“From now on, then, resolve to live as a grown-up who is making progress, and make whatever you think best a law that you never set aside. And whenever you encounter anything that is difficult or pleasurable or highly or lowly regarded, remember that the contest is now, you are at the Olympic games, you cannot wait any longer, and that your progress is wrecked or preserved by a single day and a single event. This is how Socrates fulfilled himself by attending to nothing except reason in everything he encountered. And you, although you are not yet Socrates, should live as someone who at least wants to be Socrates.” – Epictetus
In many ways we should strive to be more dynamic, ebbing with the changing tides of life. But with respect to the governing laws written to hold ourselves accountable, we should be unwavering and rigid.
As Epictetus said, we should never set these laws aside.
Socrates wrote his law to live with an absolute focus on reason. And he did it. What’s more, he enforced it with no external governing body.
With too many laws, we drown ourselves in a bureaucracy of noise where complexity cascades into ungovernable chaos.
There’s chaos in a world with no speed limits. Cars drive with reckless abandon because there is no posted standard, no penalty for wrong action, and no adherence required. Good intent won’t get us there, we need laws.
What governing laws do you have for yourself? Your money? How might we use a rules-based approach to facilitate system adherence?
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