Beginning with a thorough examination of control, Arrian lays the foundation of mental health. He uses maxims to illustrate the invasive power of an individual's power, or what we refer to as neurosis today. Every choice has a consequence. And things outside of the individual's authority must be accepted without trying to exert control over them. Arrian demonstrates a preoccupation with passivity, dealing with the external reality without losing inner stability.
The next few chapters appear to be written for the student of philosophy. Arrian lists the numerous dilemmas which face intermediate students of stoicism. He describes the corrosive effect of shame on the mind's development. Including a chapter on the development of stoic mastery, he compares the process to that of the athlete's training of the Olympics. Both men value discipline and denial.
Then Arrian writes about ethics. He details a list of acceptable, healthy interactions or boundaries to set between various relationships: other people, God, divination, and the self. The interactions of people lead to the most common crises of philosophy because not every plays by the same rules. Arrian argues for a consistent model of social interaction which is based upon rigid ethical standards so as to prevent compromising previous mental work. Additionally he details Epictetus' beliefs about justice and its administration.
Arrian introduces a kind of cast system near the end. In keeping with Epictetus, he believes that people are born into different spiritual strata and must learn the objectives of their particular class. He urges all of his readers to lay out a regular practice of the precepts he's presented throughout the book. He's offering practical advice by which to live. Finally he includes a list of maxims intended for memorization and daily application.
