Chrysippus’ Writing Lessons

September 14

The story goes like this: Epictitus overhears one of his students bragging loudly about how he, the student, had read the complete works of Chrysippus.

In addition to having a horribly difficult name to spell, Chrysippus was somewhat famous for how densely he wrote—thick, barely-legible tomes people had to slug through as some sort of right of passage. The kind of thing very few people would take the time to try to understand—bragging rights for a student trying to set themselves apart from the crowd.

Epictitus responded to his student simply—you wouldn’t have anything to brag about if Chrysippus had been a better writer. 

The right of passage? The conditions of entry? “Putting in your time” and “keeping your head down” and “waiting your turn”?

Are they true test of virtue and skill? Or are we just bragging about something that someone could make better?

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