Moral character is an ability that enables rational men to choose the outcomes for their deeds. Humans are a rational. Nonetheless, how one discerns what is rational or irrational differs from one person to another. There is therefore need for discipline in order to perceive what is rational and what is irrational. Determining what is rational not only puts to consideration the need of each person but also compares actions to natural estimates. According to Epictetus, correct use of expression and perception is the most crucial thing to transforming oneself into a wise person. The chapter goes ahead to posit that understanding the power of rationality helps human to progress and become natured under good character (Epictetus, 2013). Good character helps humans to blend well with others, and therefore leads to intelligent acts that make the world a better place.
The best way of ensuring high maintenance of character is through ensuring that actions undertaken by every person are geared towards bringing service to others . Th e role played by every community member contributes to these natural relations. Rationality requires that humans act virtuously, by being patient, considerate and gentle to each other (Mabbott, 1941). Humans need not to forgetting who they really are and their purpose in other people’s lives. Inability to consider this leads to failure to maintain one’s character. It is important to turn any problem that we undergo in life into a divine lesson; and as such, another opportunity to build our moral character. Keeping one’s moral character at utmost standards is in order with nature.
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The capacity of human to maintain high standards of discipline and moral character is dependent on the opinions, desires, intentions, and judgment of others on the action. This includes the compulsions of whether acts are controlled by aversions and desires or not. The duress determines whether humans reject what they dislike and retain what they desire. When one successfully abides by practical moral character-building exercises and disciplines, they attain a status of “rational beings.”
Human beings should learn to judge things in the right way. Emotional forces such as anger, excitement and pain hinder the ability of men to judge situations and make appropriate decisions (Long, 2002). Foul words and disrespect can make someone angry, but judgment of the situation does not necessarily have to make them angry. In other words, when one makes a person angry, it is upon them to control their impressions and choose not to act irrationally.
In my opinion, in order to maintain our moral good characters, it is important we first recognize what is in our power and what is not. Failure to understand the power of moral character is what makes humans indifferent on what is important in life. It should be noted that one’s capacity to act morally right or not is entirely reliant on them. No human is the controller of another human’s moral character. Similarly, no one has the power to involve another in evil or rather secure good for them. Nature has its own way of categorizing actions of men as either being conventionally good or bad. But it is a personal authority to choose what needs to be done and what needs not to be done.
References
Bell, G., and Sons. (2013). The Discourses of Epictetus: With the Encheiridion and Fragments . HardPress Publishing.
Long, A. A. (2002). Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic guide to life . Clarendon Press.
Mabbott, T. O. (1941). Epictetus and Nero's coinage. Classical Philology , 36 (4), 398-399.
