To Live A Life With Knowledge (The Handbook)

41-53

These last sections are mostly about the Philosophy of life. The Handbook ends with examples of the philosophy of life and your everyday conduct. Reading these sections I kind of got the idea of just reacting to something or any issue with knowledge. Life is all about using Knowledge and everyday should be lived with good discipline. We learn that the only abuse you get from another person is not to harm each other, but only because that person abusing is disappointed or having trouble with themselves. From this I learn not to hate r get back at a person who is being evil, bad, or mean to me, but I learn to control myself and understand that the person is aching inside and they are not fighting with me but with themselves. I agree with this, because in my opinion I think that people who are angry with themselves or have issues inside of them are those who are always fighting and offending others. It is a way of taking there anger out on the world. “Starting from these considerations you will be gentle with the person who abuses you.” A person does not have to get back at the angry person. Here we are learning to just be there for that person. Things can get better.

Section 44 is about those in society who do not know the difference between being richer or superior to another person. “I am richer than you; therefore I a superior to you.” People can have that difference of having more money than others or being superior in different things, but if you are richer than some one it will not make you more superior to them. To be superior to others is hard, people have there superiority in many different things but that will never make them any better than any person. To be better at something is a gift, but a gift to teach the others so they can be just as good. Those superior people are made to teach and make things better, not to just shove it in someone’s face or to the world that they are superior to others. Power, authority, and money you are still a normal person like anybody else.

In conclusion to The Handbook, I have learned from Epictetus that it is important to always be thinking about your thoughts and actions every single day. It is important to live your on good life with good conduct and knowledge.