Summary
Epictetus uses the example of a raven's unlucky croak to teach a powerful lesson about perspective and control. In ancient times, people believed certain sounds or sights could predict doom or misfortune. But Epictetus argues that these external signs have no real power over what matters most - your character, your choices, and your response to events. When something seems like a bad omen, he suggests a mental reframe: 'Nothing is portended to me.' The raven's croak can't actually harm your body, reputation, relationships, or possessions. More importantly, he teaches that all events can become 'lucky' if you approach them with the right mindset. This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending bad things are good. It's about recognizing that your power lies not in controlling what happens, but in how you respond and what you learn. Every situation, even seemingly negative ones, contains opportunities to practice wisdom, build resilience, or strengthen character. This chapter reveals a core Stoic principle: external events are neutral until we assign meaning to them. A job loss could be devastating or it could be the push you needed to find better work. A relationship ending could be heartbreak or liberation. The 'luck' isn't in the event itself - it's in your ability to find advantage, meaning, or growth within whatever happens. This mental skill transforms you from a victim of circumstances into someone who can extract value from any situation life presents.
Coming Up in Chapter 19
Next, Epictetus reveals the secret to becoming truly unconquerable - but it requires giving up the very battles most people think they need to win. He'll show you why chasing honors and power might be the exact opposite of freedom.
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An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 55 words)
When a raven happens to croak unluckily, be not overcome by appearances, but discriminate and say, “Nothing is portended to _me_, either to my paltry body, or property, or reputation, or children, or wife. But to _me_ all portents are lucky if I will. For whatsoever happens, it belongs to me to derive advantage therefrom.”
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Mental Immunity - Building Resistance to External Drama
The ability to separate external events from the meanings we assign to them, preventing random occurrences from controlling our emotional state.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between what actually happened and the stories we tell ourselves about what it means.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel anxious about someone's tone, timing, or behavior - pause and ask 'What facts do I actually have versus what story am I creating?'
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Portent
A sign or omen believed to predict future events, especially bad luck or disaster. In ancient Rome, people looked for meaning in everything from bird flights to weather patterns. Ravens croaking at certain times were considered particularly unlucky omens.
Modern Usage:
We still look for signs and omens today - breaking mirrors, black cats, or even reading into coincidences as 'the universe telling us something.'
Stoic Reframing
The mental practice of changing how you interpret events by focusing on what you can control rather than what you cannot. It's not about pretending bad things are good, but about finding your power in any situation.
Modern Usage:
This is what therapists call 'cognitive reframing' - changing your perspective to reduce anxiety and find actionable responses to problems.
External vs Internal
A core Stoic distinction between things outside your control (other people, events, outcomes) and things within your control (your thoughts, choices, and responses). Epictetus teaches that wisdom lies in focusing only on the internal.
Modern Usage:
Modern psychology calls this 'locus of control' - whether you believe your life is shaped by external forces or your own choices.
Discriminate
In Stoic terms, this means to think clearly and make careful distinctions rather than being swept away by first impressions or emotions. It's about pausing to analyze what's really happening versus what appears to be happening.
Modern Usage:
We use this skill when we 'take a step back' or 'sleep on it' before reacting to upsetting news or situations.
Derive Advantage
The Stoic practice of finding benefit, learning, or growth opportunity in any situation, even seemingly negative ones. This isn't toxic positivity but strategic thinking about how to extract value from whatever life presents.
Modern Usage:
This shows up in modern phrases like 'turn lemons into lemonade' or 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'
Characters in This Chapter
Epictetus
Teacher and narrator
He uses the everyday example of a raven's croak to demonstrate how we give power to meaningless external events. Shows his practical teaching style of taking common fears and reframing them through Stoic principles.
Modern Equivalent:
The therapist who helps you see that your ex's social media posts have no actual power over your day
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Nothing is portended to me, either to my paltry body, or property, or reputation, or children, or wife."
Context: Teaching the proper response when encountering what seems like a bad omen
This quote shows the Stoic practice of mentally separating yourself from external events. By saying 'nothing is portended to me,' Epictetus means these signs have no real power over what truly matters - your character and choices.
In Today's Words:
That random bad thing that just happened? It can't actually touch what really matters about me or my life.
"But to me all portents are lucky if I will."
Context: Explaining how perspective transforms any situation into an opportunity
This reveals the Stoic superpower - the ability to find advantage in any circumstance through conscious choice. It's not about the event itself being good or bad, but about your decision to extract value from it.
In Today's Words:
Any situation becomes an opportunity if I choose to see it that way and act accordingly.
"For whatsoever happens, it belongs to me to derive advantage therefrom."
Context: Concluding his lesson about taking control of your response to events
This is the practical application of Stoic philosophy - not passive acceptance but active engagement with finding benefit. It puts the power back in your hands regardless of circumstances.
In Today's Words:
Whatever life throws at me, my job is to figure out how to benefit from it.
Thematic Threads
Control
In This Chapter
Epictetus distinguishes between what we can control (our response) and what we cannot (external events and their supposed meanings)
Development
Building on earlier chapters about focusing energy only on what's within our power
In Your Life:
You might waste energy worrying about things you can't influence while neglecting the responses you can control.
Perspective
In This Chapter
The same event can be viewed as lucky or unlucky depending on how you frame it and what you do with it
Development
Expanding the idea that our viewpoint shapes our experience more than external circumstances
In Your Life:
You might find yourself stuck in negative interpretations when the same situation could be reframed as opportunity.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Every situation becomes a chance to practice wisdom and build character when approached with the right mindset
Development
Reinforcing that challenges are training opportunities rather than just obstacles
In Your Life:
You might miss growth opportunities by viewing difficulties as pure problems rather than skill-building exercises.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Rejecting society's superstitions and predetermined meanings about what events should signify
Development
Continuing the theme of thinking independently rather than accepting conventional interpretations
In Your Life:
You might let other people's fears and interpretations influence your own peace of mind unnecessarily.
Mental Resilience
In This Chapter
Building immunity to external drama by refusing to let random events dictate your emotional state
Development
Developing the practical skills for maintaining inner stability regardless of circumstances
In Your Life:
You might find yourself emotionally reactive to every small change in your environment instead of staying centered.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Epictetus say that a raven's croak can't actually harm you? What's the difference between the event itself and what we think it means?
analysis • surface - 2
How does our brain's tendency to read meaning into random events create unnecessary stress in our daily lives?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people treating neutral events like bad omens today - at work, in relationships, or on social media?
application • medium - 4
When you catch yourself spiraling over something that might mean nothing, what practical steps could you take to separate facts from interpretation?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about the difference between people who stay calm under pressure and those who get knocked around by every random event?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Meaning-Making Machine
For the next day, notice when you automatically interpret neutral events as good or bad signs. Write down three examples: What happened? What story did your brain immediately create? What were the actual facts versus your interpretation? Then practice saying 'neutral until proven otherwise' and see how that changes your emotional response.
Consider:
- •Pay attention to your body's physical response when you catch yourself fortune-telling
- •Notice which areas of life trigger the most meaning-making - work, relationships, health, money
- •Observe how much mental energy gets freed up when you stop reading omens into everything
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when something you thought was a terrible sign actually led to something positive. How might your current 'bad omens' be neutral events that could go either way?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 19: Choose Your Battles Wisely
Moving forward, we'll examine to identify which fights are worth having and which aren't, and understand comparing yourself to others leads to misery. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.