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April 18th

OPINIONS ARE LIKE...

“What is bad luck? Opinion. What are conflict, dispute, blame,

accusation, irreverence, and frivolity? They are all opinions, and

more than that, they are opinions that lie outside of our own

reasoned choice, presented as if they were good or evil. Let a

person shift their opinions only to what belongs in the field of

their own choice, and I guarantee that person will have peace of

mind, whatever is happening around them.”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 3.3.18b–19

pinions. Everyone’s got one.
Think about all the opinions you have: about whether today’s
weather is convenient, about what liberals and conservatives believe, about
whether so-and-so’s remark is rude or not, about whether you’re successful
(or not), and on and on. We’re constantly looking at the world around us
and putting our opinion on top of it. And our opinion is often shaped by
dogma (religious or cultural), entitlements, expectations, and in some cases,
ignorance.
No wonder we feel upset and angry so often! But what if we let these
opinions go? Let’s try weeding (ekkoptein; cutting or knocking out) them
out of our lives so that things simply are. Not good or bad, not colored with
opinion or judgment. Just are.