Epictetus

Knowing him as I do it doesn't seem to make much sense to me but I will check back for a few wise appraisals. As for the man, I have lived my life by his precepes. Reaction to stimuli is a solution to life's problem in a way that a tree has one truck and many branches. I always try to choose the way I respond to life. I see on TV where the police and lawyers are frequently commenting on the reaction of a suspect to bad news, or the behaviour of a suspect after the crime in question. Take Scott Petersen for example. If I got very bad or very good news my reaction would probably be very casual. My true reaction would be interior contemplation. I've always thought that human reaction is a very poor judge of guilt or innocence.

I agree to a certain extent with your comments. It would be admirable if we could always "choose" the way we respond to life but I think for many of us that is beyond our capabilities. For example, if something horrendous was to happen to a loved one I think it would be human to react with sadness, grief, perhaps anger ....or someother such emotion without having much time to think about what attitude or response we will take. Hope I have understood what you were saying.

You have understood me well enough. My character is not the type that responds to grief or happiness in a conspicuous way. It is just natural for me, without thinking, to not respond in any obvious way. I just live more internally than most people. I guess it is a cultural thing and a feature of my own personality.