Silence has been revered for centuries as one of the highest forms of intelligence. The Stoics called it self-command. The Buddhists called it right speech. Neuroscientists today call it emotional regulation. Whatever the language, the principle is the same: mastery begins when impulse ends.

Born into slavery and later freed, Epictetus had every reason to see himself as powerless. Instead, he built his philosophy on the radical idea that no one can enslave the human spirit if the mind remains disciplined. He taught that external events are beyond our control—but our perception, judgment, and response are always ours to command.