Previous Stoicism

FEAR THE FEAR OF DEATH

“Do you then ponder how the supreme of human evils, the surest mark of the base and cowardly, is not death, but the fear of death? I urge you to discipline yourself against such fear, direct all your thinking, exercises, and reading this way—and you will know the only path to human freedom.”

- EPICTUS, DISCOURSES

Summary

Epictetus argues that the true evil is not death itself but the fear of death, which reveals a lack of courage and wisdom. He advises training the mind through disciplined thought and study to overcome this fear, as doing so is essential to achieving genuine freedom.

Interpretation

In real life, this means that fearing death can paralyse us, limiting our ability to live fully and act virtuously. For readers of The Daily Stoic, this teaching reinforces the importance of memento mori—acknowledging the inevitability of death—to cultivate acceptance and focus on what truly matters. By overcoming the fear of death, we free ourselves to live with courage, clarity, and purpose, unshackled by anxieties about the inevitable.

 

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