“We can’t control the impressions others form about us, and the effort to do so only debases our character.”- Epictetus

Epictetus was a Greek, born a slave and gained his freedom. Greeks are white folks. His privilege was revoked before he was even born! Still, he gained his freedom somehow, I don’t know how or why and became a teacher. He was a stoic philosopher.

He taught that we should recognize what we can and cannot control and accept our fate. He was a big proponent of reason as well. I expect most of that came from the fact that he had been a slave. That was out of his control. Common sense and reason told him to just do as he was told. Fate was to set him free.

I haven’t read his life story or studied his philosophy in any great depth. None of that is my fate, I’m just the average Joe, not a scholar. I have never pursued degrees and such. To be honest about it, those with degrees never impressed me all that much in the first place.

That brings me to why I posted that quote from Epictetus. Impressions. He says we can’t control the impressions others form about us and trying to do so just debases our character. I agree with him. But what about these social media influencers? Isn’t that exactly what they are doing? Attempting to control an impression?

Reason tells me they are really just trying to sell a product. They are attempting that by means of having others form an impression of them. That’s the goal there. If a celebrity or someone of any social note endorses a product or an idea, you should as well.

It’s the same as trust the science. The impression wishing to be created is, the “learned” people know what is best. If you’re a scientist, you must be smart! You most certainly hold a degree of some kind. Adding Dr. to your title creates the same impression. Many religious leaders call themselves doctors without having any academic credentials at all. They just want to create the impression that they do.

With my postings and remarks on Facebook others develop an impression about me. I can’t control that, not really. I also make very little effort to change any of that. I just tell the truth. I don’t call it my truth; it is just the truth. If I were to say, my truth, the implication is that there is another truth. Something is either true or not, it doesn’t require debate.

I realize there is subjective and objective truth. They are not interchangeable. That is at the heart of a number of debates raging in society today. The current elephant in the room being gender. Objectively there are only two! Subjectively however, the number is almost unlimited.

I believe one should respond to life objectively. That is the best course of action. I have expressed that in the past as, ” emotions are great motivators, but seldom good guides.” I can’t control impressions others form about me, just as Epictetus said.

I did read where Epictetus is credited by scholars today as the basis for today’s cognitive-behavioral therapies. That therapy focuses on talking. Yes, just talking about your subjective feelings and comparing them to objective reality. It boils down to something your parents may have told you, I don’t care what anyone else is doing, you are not doing that! Straighten up and fly right!