Knowledge — self-knowledge in particular — is freedom.
So what is the reason I am learning Stoicism in 2026? Well I want to learn about being free, free of the the things holding me back from life.
So what do the Stoics say about freedom and learning? Epictetus says “we should not trust the masses who say only the free can be educated, but rather the lovers of wisdom who say that only the educated are free.” [Discourses 2.1.21-23a]
So why am I learning Stoicism? Well I’m looking to be educated in a way that allows me to experience freedom. So while I think that watching a television show or movie can be freedom, a better use of my time and achieving freedom is reading or studying philosophy.