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April 19th

OUR SPHERE OF IMPULSES

“Epictetus says we must discover the missing art of assent and pay

special attention to the sphere of our impulses—that they are

subject to reservation, to the common good, and that they are in

proportion to actual worth.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 11.37

ere we have the emperor, the most powerful man in the world, quoting
in his diary the wisdom of a former slave (and from what we know,
Marcus might have had direct notes from Epictetus’s lectures via one of his
former students). That wisdom was ultimately about surrender and serving
the common good—about the limits of our power and the importance of
checking our impulses—something every person in authority needs to hear.
Power and powerlessness seem so rarely to enter the same orbit—but
when they do it can change the world. Think about President Abraham
Lincoln meeting with, corresponding with, and learning from Frederick
Douglass, another former slave of considerable wisdom and insight.
In any case, all those men lived by the principles expressed here: that in
our lives—whether we’re experiencing great power or powerlessness—it’s
critical to leave room for what may happen and keep the common good and
the actual worth of things front and center. And, above all, be willing to
learn from anyone and everyone, regardless of their station in life.