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February    18th

PREPARE FOR THE STORM

“This   is  the true    athlete—the person  in  rigorous    training    against false   impressions.    Remain  firm,

you who suffer, don’t   be  kidnapped   by  your    impressions!    The struggle    is  great,  the task    divine—

to  gain    mastery,    freedom,    happiness,  and tranquility.”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.18.27–28

pictetus also used the metaphor of a storm, saying that our impressions are not unlike extreme
weather that can catch us and whirl us about. When we get worked up or passionate about an issue,
we can relate.
But let’s think about the role of the weather in modern times. Today, we have forecasters and experts
who can fairly accurately predict storm patterns. Today, we’re defenseless against a hurricane only if we
refuse to prepare or heed the warnings.
If we don’t have a plan, if we never learned how to put up the storm windows, we will be at the
mercy of these external—and internal—elements. We’re still puny human beings compared with one-
hundred-mile-per-hour winds, but we have the advantage of being able to prepare—being able to struggle
against them in a new way.