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In Epictetus' The Handbook, the Stoic philosopher compiles a "how-to" guide on how to live as the perfect Stoic Sage. He begins his work by discussing the things in life that are up to us, as humans, as well as those things that are not. Human desire falls into the first camp of things that are in fact up to us, and he spends a great deal of his work examining the role of desire in one's life. Given this focus on desire, it is interesting to consider how Epictetus, a dedicated Stoic, would respond to the common notion that it is better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all. In response to this proposal, Epictetus would argue that the most expedient way to become the Stoic Sage would be to not love at all. He would justify this view by arguing that love, as a type of desire, should be eliminated completely. One should be concerned wholly with the ruling principle of one's soul and not with externals, such as feelings and desires. However, if considered......

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