50–135 CE · Stoicism
Epictetus on grief
Epictetus reframed loss as return. Nothing you love was ever truly owned; it was lent. When it is taken, you have not been robbed, only asked to give back what was never yours to keep.
Never say of anything, 'I have lost it', but, 'I have given it back'.
Epictetus — Enchiridion, 11
Try this
- Hold what you love as lent, not owned.
- Grieve the return without calling it a robbery.
Questions
What did Epictetus say about grief?
Epictetus reframed loss as return. Nothing you love was ever truly owned; it was lent. When it is taken, you have not been robbed, only asked to give back what was never yours to keep.
Where did Epictetus write about grief?
In Enchiridion, 11.
Ask Epictetus about your grief
Put your own situation to Epictetus and hear the answer in their own words.
Talk to Epictetus