Evening star., 1925-07-27
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Man is an animal that loves con-
temptation says our friend, Epicte-
tus. Roman slave and philosopher.
The more one thinks of this defini-
ton. the more he likes it, since it
sets forth one of the cardinal traits
or our kind, self-conscious reflection,
which no other animal possesses.
The more one reads Epictetus, the
more he likes the old fellow. He is
harder reading than his fellow Stole
at the other end of the scale, the
Emperor Marcus Aurelius, but this is
largely due to the form in which he is
printed.
In practically all his editions his
"Discourses" are set forth in great
solid paragraphs pages long, so that
his questions and answers are diff
cult to follow.
This old ethical philosopher could
be popularized simply by printing him
In larger form, his discourses broken
up into short paragraphs.
Probably more SO than any OF the
old Greek or Roman writer's, Epictetus
has an almost modern style and
this came about because he was, in
fact, not writer at ALL
He never wrote a line, all his
literary remains" having been set
down by his pupil and friend, Arrian.
Stenographers ought to be interested
in this, for Arrian must have used
some form of shorthand
The "Discourses, by reason of their
short sentences, and somewhat dis
jointed thought-fow, bear every in
ternal evidence of authenticity, so
that 1t seems to have been impossible
for Arrian to have taken them down
in longhand.
He must have used some forerun-
Ch nd In
der to jot down some of the snappy
sentences of Epictetus, such as the
one which begins this article.
A modern writer got a tremendous
reputation by declaring, "The way to
learn to write is TO write
Epictetus, however. beat him to that
thought by some 1000 years. when
he said:
IF you would be a good reader,
read; If a writer, write"
Plenty Of punch and SNAP" in
that. is there not? French brevity
could go no further.
This condensed sentence. packed
with wisdom sometimes called the
wisdom OF the ancients, but in reality
also the wisdom of the moderns, too9,
is taken from the section, How We
Should Struggle Against Appear
ances," in the "Discourses." 1t really
constitutes a chapter on Habit "
Epictetus says:
Every faculty and habit is main
tained and increased by the cor
responding actions: the habit OF walk
ing by walking, the habit of running
by running.
If you would be a good reader,
read; II a good writer, write
When you shall not have read for
80 days in succession, but have done
something else. you will know the
consequences"
Undoubtedly Epictetus spoke of
reading aloud.
I'm the same way. if you shall have
lain down 10 days, get up and at
tempt to make a long walk, and you
Will see how your legs are weakened
Generally, then, if you would make
anything a habit, do it; if you would
not make it a habit. do not do it,
but accustom yourself to something
else in place Of it,
II is still surprising how good this
old, bromide advice Is, after all these
centuries. Some profess 10 sneer at
the obvious, but certainly there is
nothing we need to be reminded Of
more than the thoughts we know the
best- We know them so well, indeed,
that we tend to despise them.
SO 1t Is with respect TO the afrec.
tons Of the soul" continues Epictetus.
When you have been angry, you
must know that not only has this evil