H
September 2nd
THE PHILOSOPHER’S SCHOOL IS A HOSPITAL
“Men, the philosopher’s lecture-hall is a hospital—you shouldn’t
walk out of it feeling pleasure, but pain, for you aren’t well when
you enter it.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 3.23.30
ave you ever been to physical therapy or rehab? No matter what the
name implies or how many people you see lying about, getting
massages, it’s not a fun place to be. It turns out that healing hurts. The
trained experts know exactly where to exert pressure and what to subject to
stress so that they can strengthen where the patient is weak and help
stimulate the areas that have atrophied.
Stoic philosophy is a lot like that. Some observations or exercises will
touch one of your pressure points. It’s nothing personal. It’s supposed to
hurt. That’s how you’ll develop the will to endure and persevere through
life’s many difficulties.