Epictetus, Discourses, Chapter XXI; reported as a proverb in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 643.
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Why, then, do you walk as if you had swallowed a ramrod?
— Epictetus on English proverbs (alphabetically by proverb)
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Why, then, do you walk as if you had swallowed a ramrod?" in the context of "Epictetus, Discourses, Chapter XXI; reported as a proverb in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 643." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
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Source: Wikiquote: "English proverbs (alphabetically by proverb)" (Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations: Quotes reported as proverbs in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 639-43., Proverbs and Popular Phrases: (Alphabetically arranged by text of quote).)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Epictetus
Epictetus (c. 55 – c. 135 AD), born a slave, was a Greek Stoic philosopher. His words were recorded by his student Arrian in the Discourses and Enchiridion written in the early 2nd-century.
About Epictetus
Epictetus (c. 55 – c. 135 AD), born a slave, was a Greek Stoic philosopher. His words were recorded by his student Arrian in the Discourses and Enchiridion written in the early 2nd-century.
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