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| 50 - 135 AD |
Making discoveries is a joy that comes from being a lifelong learner. One of my favorite quotes is by Shakespeare, who gave this beautiful picture of the stages of life in Act 2, Scene 5 of "As You Like It." He wrote,
"All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. . . . "
My joyful discovery was to learn that Shakespeare may have very well been influenced by the Greek slave-turned-philosopher, Epictetus, who wrote in The Enchiridon (The Little Handbook, 17):
“Remember that you are an actor in a play, and the Playwright chooses the manner of it: if he wants it short, it is short; if long, it is long. If he wants you to act a poor man you must act the part with all your powers; and so if your part be a cripple or a magistrate or a plain man. For your business is to act the character that is given you and act it well; the choice of the cast is Another's.”
Marcus Aurelius takes us one step deeper. "Consider that everything that happens, happens justly, and if you observe carefully, you will find it to be so." In other words everything that happens, happens just as it should--naturally, by design. From our perspective, we might consider a matter as unfair or unjust but this is only because our role does not call for understanding, but to "act our part." If a matter unfolds as it was designed (naturally), then it is right and we must perform our role as the Playright has designed, which is right.
Which goes to show that Old Solomon was right! "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." (Eccl. 1:19)
