"Consider who you are. First, a Man... But you are also a Citizen of the World... Next, remember that you are a Son... Listen now to the duties of a Brother..."

In 1776, a wealthy Virginian landowner named Thomas Jefferson sat down to write the Declaration of Independence. He was an aristocrat, a slave owner, and a subject of the British Crown. But in that moment, he had to choose which "role" defined him.

If he acted primarily as a subject of the Crown, his duty was to obey King George. If he acted primarily as an aristocrat, his duty was to protect his wealth and stability. But Jefferson (imperfect as he was) tapped into his role as a "Citizen of the World" and a leader of a new nation. He wrote that, "all men are created equal," a statement that contradicted his own life as a slave owner, but fulfilled his duty as a philosopher-statesman.

Throughout his life, Jefferson struggled to balance these roles. He often failed. He failed the role of "Master" by knowing slavery was wrong but keeping his slaves. He failed the role of "Economist" by dying in debt. But he succeeded in the role of "Revolutionary".

Epictetus teaches us that we're never just one thing. You aren't just "Steve" or "Sarah." You're a complex stack of hats. You're a human (universal duty), a citizen (civic duty), a son (filial duty), and a brother (familial duty).

Trouble starts when we confuse the roles. If you act like a "Boss" when you should be acting like a "Father", you'll ruin your relationship with your kids. You don't fire your children for performance issues. If you act like a "Friend" when you should be acting like a "Judge", you'll corrupt justice.

Epictetus demands that we perform a "Roll Call" every morning. Ask yourself: "Who am I today? Who am I in this specific situation?" The duty changes based on the hat you're wearing. A good son obeys; a good father commands. You must know which script you're reading from.

Errors & Corrections

• Don't play the wrong character. Don't bring your work persona home to your marriage. Your spouse needs a partner, not a manager.
• Don't ignore the "Universal" role. No matter what other role you play (soldier, lawyer, manager, barista), you can never violate your primary role as a human being. If your job requires you to be inhumane, you must quit the job.
• Don't pick and choose. You can't say "I'm a good CEO" while being a terrible father and think you're a success. You have to pass all the classes, not just the one you like.

Applications to Modern Life

Competitive Sports

An athlete has multiple roles. On the field, you're a competitor. Your duty is to dominate. But the moment the whistle blows, you switch to the role of sportsman. Your duty is to shake hands. If you stay in competitor mode and refuse to shake hands, you've failed the second role. Later, when interviewed, you're a role model. If you curse on live TV, you've failed that third role. You must switch hats instantly.

Work

You might be friends with a coworker, but then you get promoted to be their manager. This is hard. You have to switch from the role of "buddy" to the role of "supervisor". You can't let them slack off just because you used to grab beers together. You have to explain, "As your friend, I care about you. But as your manager, I need this report by Friday."

Leadership

A CEO isn't just a profit-maker. They're also a "community leader" for their employees. If you lay off a thousand people to boost the stock price by 1%, you've succeeded as a "profit-maker" but failed as a "guardian of the people". A Stoic leader tries to balance the duty to the shareholders with the duty to the human beings who serve them.

Politics

A politician is often torn between the role of "party member" and "public servant". The party wants them to lie to win an election. The public servant role demands truth. Most politicians fail this test because they value the "party" role more than the "citizen" role. They forget that their highest loyalty is to the truth, not the tribe.

Social Media

On the internet, we often play the role of "performer". We want likes. But we forget our role as "neighbor". When you post a rumor or a mean joke, you're succeeding as a performer (getting attention) but failing as a neighbor (causing harm). Remember that the avatar you're mocking is connected to a real human.

Interpersonal Relationships

In a marriage, you play many roles: lover, roommate, co-parent, and financial partner. Conflict happens when you're arguing about money (financial partner role) but you take it personally as a rejection of you (lover role). Keep the roles distinct. "I'm not attacking you as my husband; I'm discussing the budget as your financial partner."

Maxims

• Wear the right hat.
• A good soldier can be a bad son; be good at both.
• The role dictates the duty.

In-depth Concepts

Prosopon (Face/Mask/Person)

The word "person" comes from the Latin Persona, which came from the Greek Prosopon. It literally meant the mask worn by an actor on stage. Epictetus loves this metaphor. Life is a play. The Author (God/Fate/Universe) hands you a mask. Maybe it's "Beggar", maybe it's "King". Your job isn't to complain about the mask; it's to play that character perfectly.

Kathēkon (Appropriate Act)

This is the Stoic term for duty. It literally means "that which fits". A duty isn't a heavy burden. It's just the action that fits the relationship. It "fits" a father to protect. It "fits" a citizen to vote. When you don't do your duty, you're like a puzzle piece that refuses to fit into its slot.