Suspect Yourself

“First off, don’t let the force of the impression carry you away. Say to it, ‘hold up a bit and let me see who you are and where you are from—let me put you to the test’ . . .” - Epictetus You trust your own mind too readily. That first flare of anger, that snap verdict on someone’s intentions, that impulse to abandon the work when it gets crazy- you accept it all unquestioned, as though your reactions arrived pre-certified. They didn’t. Most of what courses through your head is unaudited, and unaudited thoughts will ruin your life faster than any adversary ever could. Epictetus had a word for the remedy: prosoche- a vigilant, sustained attention to your own judgments. A disciplined intermission at the gates of your mind. A customs inspection on every …