from Phil Van Treuren
Getting scared by stuff that jumps out at us or is strange to us is a natural part of being human, but Epictetus said we should never let the force of our initial impressions carry us away.
He said that you should consider every impression you have, and say to it: “Okay, hold on a minute, let’s see what you really are. Let’s put you to the test.”
An impression could be something that pops up without your control, like when someone jumps out and scares you.
But you can also have impressions about stuff that you’ve never experienced before: like facing challenges, growing older, or other inevitable things that have always scared you.
As human beings, we have the awesome ability to think about our impressions and decide whether they’re accurate or overblown. If there’s something that scares you, ask yourself whether it’s just because you haven’t experienced it yet.
You have the power to shape your impressions . . . not some silly mask.