“It is not things that trouble us, but our judgments about things.”
— Epictetus · 50 – 135Source: Enchiridion, 5 (c. early 2nd century AD) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The statement appears in Enchiridion 5, a handbook compiling Epictetus' teachings as recorded by his student Arrian.
Understanding the quote
Epictetus teaches that disturbance arises from how we appraise events, not from events themselves. This practical claim — central to the Enchiridion — hands you back control: change your judgments and you change your experience.
In the original · Ancient Greek
Ταράσσει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους οὐ τὰ πράγματα, ἀλλὰ τὰ περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων δόγματα.
The story behind it
Epictetus wrote nothing himself; what survives are student notes. The Enchiridion is a condensed handbook shaped by Arrian for use in daily moral practice.
Going further
- The era
- In the early 2nd century AD, when Arrian condensed Epictetus' classroom teachings into a handbook.
- The thinking
- Stoicism teaches focusing effort on what you can control — your judgments and choices — and accepting what's outside your control. Practically, it means pausing before you assent to a reactive thought.
- Key word
- Judgment/assent: the mind's decision to accept or reject an impression.
- Who quoted it
- Widely quoted in self-help and resilience literature; cognitive therapy often echoes this separation of event and appraisal.
Three challenges to live it
In the app, you pick the one that fits your day, and in the evening you say how it went.
Write about a recent upsetting event and list three judgments you made about it. Reframe each judgment into a factual observation.
Epictetus points out disturbance comes from judgments. Writing and reframing clarifies facts versus interpretations and restores emotional control.
Take a three-minute pause during a moment of upset: breathe and observe thoughts without judging, then let them pass like clouds.
Observing thoughts without judgment embodies Epictetus's idea that disturbance stems from appraisal. A short pause creates space to choose a calmer response.
Call or message a trusted person and briefly tell the upsetting event; ask them to give a factual perspective on what happened.
Asking for an outside view challenges your judgments with another's facts. Epictetus teaches that internal stories create disturbance; a listener helps recalibrate interpretation.
How would your day change if you questioned one upsetting judgment right now?
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