2,000 years ago, a lame, bald slave began speaking in the taverns of Rome. His “theory of the two handles” has shaped modern psychology

The article revisits Epictetus’ “two handles” metaphor from the Enchiridion as a lesson in reframing injustice and other uncontrollable events.

It places Stoic ethics within the history of psychology, linking Stoic ideas to 20th-century cognitive therapies and Albert Ellis.

The piece also notes a growing modern interest in philosophy as a preventive tool for mental well-being.

It compares the instability of the Hellenistic era with today to explain Stoicism’s renewed appeal.