Nature is amazing and ‘on the side of life’, as Xenophon says. Take the body – the nastiest and least pleasant thing of all – which we nevertheless love and look after. If we had to look after our neighbour’s body, we’d be sick of it inside of a week. Imagine what it would be like to rise at dawn and brush someone else’s teeth, or wipe their private parts after they’ve answered nature’s call. Really, it’s amazing that we can love something that on a daily basis requires so much of our attention.
I stuff this paunch, then empty it; and what could be more tedious? But God must be obeyed, and so I live on and put up with washing, feeding and housing my miserable body. When I was younger it asked something else of me, and I put up with that too. So why can’t you tolerate it, when nature, which gave you this body, asks for it back?
‘But I love it.’
Wasn’t it nature, as I just finished saying, that made you love it? It’s nature, too, that tells you it’s time to let it go, so that you won’t have to fuss over it any more.
Fragments 23.23
Today’s meditation
The underlying Stoic issue here is our attachment to our physical bodies and the fleeting nature of life. Epictetus reminds us that "Nature is amazing and 'on the side of life'," but also that our bodies require constant attention, which can be tedious ([Fragments 23.23]).
This passage reveals that our love for our bodies is rooted in nature, but it is also nature that dictates when it's time to let go. As Epictetus says, "It's nature, too, that tells you it's time to let it go, so that you won't have to fuss over it any more." This insight suggests that living well involves accepting the natural order of things and not resisting the inevitable changes that come with life.
To apply this insight today, one might reflect on their own attachment to their body and the things they do to maintain it. They could ask themselves: What am I holding onto too tightly, and what would happen if I were to let go? By recognizing that our bodies are mere vessels, subject to the whims of nature, we can begin to cultivate a sense of detachment and acceptance. As Epictetus puts it, "I stuff this paunch, then empty it; and what could be more tedious?" - perhaps today, one could approach their daily routines with a sense of humility and recognition of the impermanence of all things.
What is one thing you are holding onto too tightly today, and how might letting go of it allow you to live more in accordance with nature?