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Who really said it

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do

Spoken by Epictetus c. 50 – c. 135 AD · Greek Stoic philosopher, born enslaved
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Genuinely Epictetus, from his Discourses (III.23.1), as recorded by his pupil Arrian. The exact English wording you see is Elizabeth Carter’s 1758 translation — her line reads “First say to yourself, what you would be; and then do, what you have to do,” and the popular version simply drops two of her commas.

Last verified 8 Jul 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?

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“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do” First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. —Epictetus, Discourses III.23.1 (trans. Elizabeth Carter, 1758)

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Provenance

The source

Work
Discourses (Diatribai), as recorded by Arrian
Locus
Book III, Chapter 23, verse 1
Translation
Elizabeth Carter, All the Works of Epictetus (London, 1758)
Original
Greek: “Τίς εἶναι θέλεις; σαυτῷ πρῶτον εἰπέ· εἶθ’ οὕτως ποίει ἃ ποιεῖς.”

First say to yourself, what you would be; and then do, what you have to do. For, in almost everything, we see this to be the practice. Those who follow athletic exercises, first determine what they would be, and then act accordingly.

Carter’s 1758 wording opens Discourses III.23; Epictetus goes on to illustrate the maxim with athletes, who first decide what they want to be and then train for it.

Carter’s translation of Discourses III.23 on Wikisource

How we verified this

Public domain

The wording shown is Elizabeth Carter’s translation, first published in London in 1758 — well before 1931, so it is public domain in the United States, as is the ancient Greek original. Note that a modern translation of the same passage (e.g. Oldfather’s Loeb or a later Penguin/Oxford edition) would carry its own separate copyright.

This reflects the original work, which is public domain. If your exact English wording comes from a specific modern translation, that translation may itself still be under copyright — check the edition you quote.

Fact-check

The wording is a translator's, not a raw quote

The thought is authentically Epictetus, but the polished one-liner people share is a specific 18th-century English translation — usually passed off as if Epictetus said these exact words.

Elizabeth Carter (1758 translator) uncredited translation

Epictetus taught in Greek and wrote nothing down. This precise English wording is Elizabeth Carter’s 1758 rendering ↗; other translators phrase it quite differently, so “Epictetus said” really means “Carter translated.”

Quote-site editors silent edit

Carter’s line has two commas — “First say to yourself, what you would be; and then do, what you have to do” — which the popular version drops, a small modernization rarely noted.

Genuinely Epictetus (Discourses III.23.1 ↗) — but the exact words are Elizabeth Carter’s 1758 translation, lightly repunctuated.

Context

Decide who you are, then act

The maxim opens a chapter of the Discourses in which Epictetus warns against philosophizing for applause. His point is order of operations: settle your character first, then let your conduct follow from it.

He drives it home with the athlete: a competitor first decides what he wants to be, and only then submits to the diet, the training, and the discipline that identity demands.

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.

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Trusted places to keep pulling the thread — primary archives, fact-checks, and scholarship. We show how we used each one before you leave.

Epictetus (Discourses, full quote list)en.wikiquote.org

Sources the line to Discourses III.23.1 in the main Discourses section, with the Schenkl Greek text.
Carter's translation, Discourses III.23en.wikisource.org

Full text of Elizabeth Carter's 1758 translation of the chapter, opening with this exact line.
Long's translation, Discourses III.23en.wikisource.org

George Long's 1877 rendering, showing how differently the same Greek can be phrased.
Elizabeth Carter (translator)en.wikipedia.org

Biography confirming her 1758 Epictetus was the first complete English translation; Carter lived 1717–1806.
Epictetus, Discourses (Long) at Perseuswww.perseus.tufts.edu

Scholarly Perseus text of the Discourses for cross-checking the passage.

The author

About Epictetus

Epictetus

c. 50 – c. 135 AD · Greek Stoic philosopher (Nicopolis)

Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher born into slavery at Hierapolis in Phrygia. After gaining his freedom he taught in Rome and later founded a school at Nicopolis in Epirus. He wrote nothing himself; his teaching survives only because his pupil Arrian transcribed it as the Discourses and the Enchiridion.

For writers & researchers

Cite this

Primary source — Chicago

Epictetus, The Discourses III.23.1, in All the Works of Epictetus, Which Are Now Extant, trans. Elizabeth Carter (London, 1758).

MLA (9th ed.)

Epictetus. All the Works of Epictetus, Which Are Now Extant. Translated by Elizabeth Carter, 1758.

APA (7th ed.)

Epictetus. (1758). All the works of Epictetus, which are now extant (E. Carter, Trans.).

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