“What is it then to be properly educated? It is learning to apply our natural preconceptions to the right things according to Nature, and beyond that to separate the things that lie within our power from those that don’t.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 1.22.9–10a
Having a degree is not sufficient to make reasonable decisions or understand the basic reality of nature and our role in it. Instead, it is necessary to focus on what one can control, have awareness and reflection, and to do this every day. The example of Heraclitus shows that understanding the basic reality of nature is not something that must be learned in a classroom.
