Evening star., 1925-07-23
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

to the best as he was given the light
to see 1t.
Not a bad doctrine, eh?
The Stoics taught that the funda-
mental laws of nature are those of
human nature. Today we often are
so interested in gravity and other
so-called laws Of nature" that we
are apt to forget the laws of human
nature are also flaws of nature"
The Stoics were the original teach
ers of the modern maxim, II am an
old man. and have had many troubles
most OF which never happened" In
other words, they said that a man is
more or less what he thinks.
They taught, therefore, freedom of
the will, and a certain amount of
healthy resignation. They would not
have subscribed to Omar's wish 70 tear
the world to bits and mold it nearer
to the hearts desire. 1t satisfied them.
The Stolcs taught, in fact, the uni
versal brotherhood of man, essentially
a Christian doctrine. They arrived at
this conclusion by the process Of de-
claring that reason is the essential
basis of society, and that the minds of
all men think more or less alike, no
matter where found, therefore all are
related.
Here is a sample of the practical
Handbook:
Men are disturbed not by the things
which happen, but by the opinions
about the things.
For example, death is nothing ter
rible, for If it were 1t would have
seemed so to Socrates (Socrates did
not fear death, it will be remembered)
for the opinion about death, that it Is
terrible, is the terrible thing.
when, then, we are impeded, or
disturbed or grieved, let us never
blame others, but ourselves-that is,
our opinions.
"It is the act Of an ill-instructed
man to blame others for his own bad
condition.
"It is the act of one who has begun
to be instructed to lay the blame on
himself.
1T is the act of one whose instruc.
ton is completed neither to blame
another or himself"
Epicurus says, amplifying the above
thought, Another will not damage
you unless you choose, but you will
be damaged when you shall think that
you are damaged"
In still another section Of the Hand
book he saws:
reviles you or strikes you who in
suits you, but It is your opinion about
these things as being insulting.
When, then, a man irritates you
you must know that II is your own
opinion which has irrirated you.
Therefore especially try not to be
carried away by the appearance.
For If you once gain time and
delay you viii more easily master
yourself"
Many ridiculed Woodrow Wilson for
his phrase, too proud to fight" but
its seeds were in Epictetus.
Recently in a local restaurant a
man, wishing to join two companions
at a small table, Started to remove q
chair from one side of another table
Hey" roared a would-be diner
coming up. Where you going with
that chair?"
do you want two chairs?" calmly
asked the other.
Yes" said the second, indicating a
companion.
"Oh, all right" answered the other
looking for another chair, and find
ing it.
Inwardly, however, he much resent
ed the tone of voice of the boorist
fellow. He gained time, he delayed
through the simple expedient Of eat
ing his lunch; by the end OF the mea
he had lost his desire to get up and
tell the fellow what he thought Of him
y ou must expect to meet people like
that. even in this place" he said tc
himself