If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, "He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.

However individuals are responsible for their own actions which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. To Epictetus all external events are determined by fate and are thus beyond our control; we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. Philosophy Epictetus taught is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline.