Question

On this short handbook, Epictetus says, " Remember, what a desire proposes is that you gain what you desire, and what an aversion proposes is that you not all into what you averse to. Someone who fails to get what he desires is unfortunate, while someone who all’s into what he is averse to has met misfortune". Does Epictetus try to tell the audience that our desires will come true if they're meant to be, if they're not is due to be unfortunate, and someone who suffers or falls into aversion is suffering a misfortune? So then, would it be that he's dictating that whatever fate and destiny has set for us is meant to be, and that our desires are mere feelings from which if we're lucky we get them, if not we are simply unfortunate?

Answer 1

"what a desire proposes is that you gain what you desire: is true upto some extent. we can not say that all the things which get/hold/achieve were because of only our desire. in some of the times we may gain or achieve them just like that and at that time we may not notice that it was an achievement too. for example having good family members, having good childhood friends etc. These two relations were gifted by god, and we may not realize how good we are till the time we observe or find bad experiences of others. I was read in a book that, in this planet everything must happens twice, first in our mind and second in reality. It is true, if we belive in it strongly and perform towards it, we may achieve anything but may take some time.

what an aversion proposes is that you not all into what you averse to: It is also true upto some extent only. we can put a side or distance all the things whatever we dislike, but may not be done in all the times. in some of the times we may filled those things what we really does not like throughout the life. for example:

• the work which does not like
• the collegeause whom we does not like and their association
• the people like our boss, needs to speak with a smile etc.

some people really do not like their works but attends regularly for the sake of earnings. so, we may averse some proposes that because we do not like them, but not all the proposes.

someone who fails to get what he desires is unfortunate: here the author shown sympathy towards the failures. in general we called these kind of people as failures. for example: in olympic running race, all the participants fought for the medal but at last one become winner. all the remaining are called as failures only, it is not happen because of badluck or unfortune. may the other participants (winners) are more deserve than these and they have really tough talent than others. A live example is: Raffael Nadal on French Open, he is the winner in this grandslams 12 times in the last 13 years. How tough he is in this place, how difficult to others to defeat him, we can not say that because of luck only he achieves this, he deserve this than any other.

someone who all's into what he is averse to has met misfortune: some times it may happens.

But, we people believe that what ever we have it is because of our destiny only. whatever we are today, get as on today is because of destiy only. at the same time some one says that we can change our fate with our hardwork and strugles. so, it is a kind of belive where the failures must provide some sympathy from others and winners get applaud from the same people. whatever we learn, we have or we achieve, may happens because of two reasons, one is- because we love to do it or have it, second one is because we need/deserve it. I studied because i realize the need to have it to get a good life. but i learn and play cricket because i love to play it. I know that i am not a professional cricke player, but playing cricket means to me is a relaxing activity.

some one says that fate can be changes, some one says neither, some one says everything was already awaiting for us. we must respect all these, and we must proceed. do not stop the life because of something, similarly we can not go fastly because of something is waiting for us. but one thing is sure, everything is happens because of a reason and cause, and one must proceed according to their own heart and mind.