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> either they're speaking from a position of privilege or they are lying I am not bothered that this is a false dichotomy as much as the fact that, intentional
by acituan 5y ago
> either they're speaking from a position of privilege or they are lying
I am not bothered that this is a false dichotomy as much as the fact that, intentional or not, it forbids taking a positive view of the world to anyone who also happens to be materially underprivileged.
> Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them. -Epictetus, Greek-born slave
- h0l0cube 5y ago> Epictetus, Greek-born slave Just to clarify: > He spent his youth as a slave in Rome to Epaphroditos, a wealthy freedman and secretary to Nero. > Epictetus obtained his freedom sometime after the death of Nero in AD 68 He was a slave to people of wealth and power, that permitted him to study philosophy, and was freed around 18 years of age. So it would be disingenuous to imply Epictetus had the perspective of an impoverished slave when he founded his own school of philosophy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epictetus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epictetus
- acituan 5y ago> So it would be disingenuous to imply Epictetus had the perspective of an impoverished slave when he founded his own school of philosophy. Good thing is that I made no such implication. It would be equally disingenuous however to imply that his school of philosophy would be completely isolated from the experience of his formative years as a slave.
- h0l0cube 5y ago> Good thing is that I made no such implication Most people simply attribute the author of the quote without qualifying or emphasizing some aspect of their life. So it seems arbitrary to mention this without any rhetorical motivation. Could have well said Greek Stoic Philosopher, which is mostly what he's known for and what the hive-mind of Wikipedia settled on