Stoic Compline: Thursday, September 17, 2026

The Enchiridion of Epictetus

XLII

When any person does ill by you, or speaks ill of you, remember that he acts or speaks from an impression that it is right for him to do so. Now it is not possible that he should follow what appears right to you, but only what appears so to himself. Therefore, if he judges from false appearances, he is the person hurt, since he, too, is the person deceived. For if anyone takes a true proposition to be false, the proposition is not hurt, but only the man is deceived. Setting out, then, from these principles, you will meekly bear with a person who reviles you, for you will say upon every occasion, “It seemed so to him.”

The Enchiridion of Epictetus - translated by Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Examination of Conscience

As Compline is the last Hour of the day, now is a good time to do this evening's Examination of Conscience.

Examination of Conscience can be done in the form of a journal - but that is not the only way to do it. You can do it mentally -- as long as you can make sure, without any external actions, that you are in fact doing it. Also - for practice sake, it can be done in dialogue with a mentor. But doing it with a mentor is only recommended for practice sake - and may not even be available to everyone at all.

Above all -- remember that the Examination of Conscience done here is the Stoic version of the concept and none other.

Stoic Compline for Thursday, September 17, 2026