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How Long Does It Take To Read The Discourses?
2026-01-15 21:04:26
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Oliver
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Reading 'The Discourses' by Epictetus is a journey, not a sprint. I picked it up during a phase where I was diving deep into Stoic philosophy, and it took me about three weeks of casual reading—maybe 30 minutes a day—to finish. But here’s the thing: it’s not the kind of book you rush through. Every paragraph feels like it demands reflection. The ideas about control, resilience, and focusing on what truly matters are so dense that I often found myself rereading passages just to let them sink in.
If you’re someone who likes to annotate or journal alongside reading, like I do, it’ll take even longer. I filled pages with notes about how his teachings applied to my daily frustrations, like traffic jams or work stress. It’s one of those books where the 'time spent' doesn’t matter as much as the mindset you bring to it. Even now, I flip back to certain sections when I need a reality check.
If you’re someone who likes to annotate or journal alongside reading, like I do, it’ll take even longer. I filled pages with notes about how his teachings applied to my daily frustrations, like traffic jams or work stress. It’s one of those books where the 'time spent' doesn’t matter as much as the mindset you bring to it. Even now, I flip back to certain sections when I need a reality check.
2026-01-16 15:44:57
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Rowan
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A friend bet I couldn’t finish 'The Discourses' in a week, and I lost spectacularly. Not because it’s long—it’s under 200 pages in most editions—but because every other sentence made me pause. Epictetus doesn’t waste words; his lessons on acceptance and discipline hit like a hammer. I ended up taking two weeks, reading in short bursts during lunch breaks. The physical book’s layout helped, with wide margins for my frantic scribbles ('THIS! WHY DON’T I DO THIS?!'). If you’re a fast reader, you might technically finish sooner, but the real value’s in letting it simmer. Now I keep it on my desk like a mental wrench for loosening stubborn worries.
2026-01-18 06:34:49
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Alice
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I’ve seen folks blast through 'The Discourses' in a weekend, but honestly? That feels like missing the point. When I first read it, I treated it like a marathon—spreading it over a month with breaks to chew on Epictetus’s blunt wisdom. The translation matters too; some versions flow faster, while others (like the classic Long one) force you to slow down. I averaged 15 pages an hour, but only because I kept stopping to argue with the text in my head ('Easy for you to say, Epictetus—you weren’t stuck in a Zoom meeting!').
What surprised me was how modern it felt. His rants about people blaming external circumstances could’ve been written yesterday. If you’re new to Stoicism, pairing it with a companion guide or podcast might help, but that’ll add time. For me, the real 'reading’ happened afterward, when his ideas started rewiring how I reacted to annoyances.
What surprised me was how modern it felt. His rants about people blaming external circumstances could’ve been written yesterday. If you’re new to Stoicism, pairing it with a companion guide or podcast might help, but that’ll add time. For me, the real 'reading’ happened afterward, when his ideas started rewiring how I reacted to annoyances.
2026-01-20 23:42:28
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