Lose Your Ego
“It is better to do wrong seldom and to own it, and to act right for the most part, than seldom to admit that you have done wrong and to do wrong often.”
—Epictetus
Enchiridion
In our daily lives, we all stumble and make mistakes; it's an inevitable part of being human. But, Stoicism teaches us about the virtue of recognizing and admitting our faults. Epictetus reminds us that it's far better to slip up occasionally, as long as we're honest about our missteps and strive to correct them, than to frequently err and rarely confess. Consider your own life: when was the last time you acknowledged a mistake? Did you find that once you owned up to it, you were motivated to do better next time?
Real growth comes from this cycle of error, acknowledgment, and improvement. So, the next time you catch yourself in a blunder, resist the urge to brush it under the rug. Own it. Speak up, even if it's just to yourself. This simple act of taking responsibility can reinforce your commitment to making the right choices more often. And when you act rightly on a regular basis, not only do you improve yourself, but you also set a positive example for others. Isn't it liberating to think that your occasional wrongdoing, when faced with honesty and a willingness to improve, can actually be a stepping stone to a better self?