"If you desire to be good, begin by believing that you are wicked"

Epictetus urges anyone striving for goodness to first acknowledge their own flaws and limitations. By suggesting that one should believe themselves wicked at the outset, he is not encouraging self-loathing or undue guilt, but rather advocating for honest self-examination. True moral improvement cannot happen unless a person recognizes the areas in themselves that still need work. If an individual already presumes they are good, they close the door to further growth, falling into complacency or pride.

Believing oneself wicked is about humility and self-awareness. It is the recognition that, despite perhaps having good intentions or a desire for virtue, one’s actions and inclinations often fall short of true goodness. This self-perception cultivates vigilance toward personal faults, prompting continual reflection and effort to improve. By admitting the presence of moral shortcomings, a person becomes receptive to learning, correction, and the difficult but necessary changes required for ethical development.

Furthermore, this mindset insulates against hypocrisy. Someone convinced of their own righteousness is quick to judge others and slow to seek their own improvement. In contrast, recognizing one's own capacity for fault allows for empathy and patience with others, seeing in them the same struggles that exist within oneself. There is a kind of paradox in this Stoic approach: only those who admit to failing at virtue are likely to achieve it, by maintaining the discipline and humility required for persistent growth.

Ultimately, striving for goodness is an ongoing process rather than a static achievement. Epictetus’s words serve as a warning against self-satisfaction. By beginning the journey with an acceptance of imperfection, the seeker of virtue stays open to the perpetual challenge of moral advancement, avoiding the blind spots that arise when one assumes moral completion. True goodness therefore begins with, and is sustained by, self-honesty and modesty.