Epigraphs are like little appetizers to the great entrée of a story. They illuminate important aspects of the story, and they get us headed in the right direction.
Warriors, warriors we call ourselves. We fight for splendid virtue, for high endeavor, for sublime wisdom, therefore we call ourselves warriors. —Aunguttara Nikaya
What’s Up With the Epigraph?
A warrior may seem an odd way to describe someone who, like Dan, devotes his life to calm, meditation, health, and so on. But the epigraph emphasizes that these qualities discussed in the book are indeed warrior qualities. This devotion requires a warrior's discipline and training. Also, of course, there's that time Socrates ninja-s the people trying to rob him and Dan (4.375-380), so that's pretty freakin' warrior-like.