“If evil be said of thee, and if it be true, correct thyself; if it be a lie, laugh at it.” 



― Epictetus

Show Notes:

•	When I read this quote the first thing that came to mind was “I laugh in the face of evil!”


•	How often do we get upset at what others say about us?


•	How often do we let what others say about define who we are?


•	Why get upset about their opinion, esp if it’s a lie?


•	Remember, as Stoics we need to open to correction, because what we believe and how we see the world could be totally wrong.


•	We are going to make mistakes.


•	We need to act with integrity and decide if they said has merit.


•	So if someone points out a flaw, we should be thankful because we now know what to correct. 


•	And if what is said about you is patently false, rather than let it upset, you should simply laugh in the face of evil.


•	On the surface this quote is telling us that we shouldn’t let what others say about us bother us, because it’s just their opinion, their way of seeing the world.


•	But if we dig a little deeper, what this quote is also telling us is that we need to deal with reality as it it, and not what we want it to be.


•	The reality is we will make mistakes. We’re not perfect. And there will be times when we fail to uphold our standards.


•	Often we don’t see the crappy things that we do, because sometimes because we don’t want to see them. Our ego gets in the way.


•	If we act with integrity should be willing to own our actions, and the outcome of our actions. 


•	Don’t own others reactions. Everyone is responsible for their own emotions and reactions.


•	Be grateful for your enemies because they are often the only ones that tell you the truth.


•	And if they lie, laugh in the face of evil.