The Parable of the Un-castrated Athlete

Discourses Book 1, Chapter 2, Verses 25-29 (Robin Hard's translation):

"It is in this way that a certain athlete behaved too, when he was in danger of dying if his genitals weren't cut off. His brother (who was a philosopher) came to him and said, 'Well brother, what are you planning to do? Are we to cut off this part of you and go to the gymnasium as usual?' But the athlete wouldn't submit to that, but set his mind against it and died. When someone asked, 'How did he do that? Was it as an athlete or as a philosopher?', Epictetus replied: As a man, and as a man who had been proclaimed as victor at Olympia, and had fought his corner there, and had passed his life in such places, rather than merely having oil smeared over him at Baton's training ground. But another man would be willing even to have his head cut off, if it were possible for him to live without a head. This is what is meant by acting according to one's character, and such is the weight that this consideration acquires among those who make a habit of introducing it into their deliberations. 'Come now, Epictetus, shave off your beard.' If I'm a philosopher, I'll reply: I won't shave it off. 'Then I'll have you beheaded.' If it pleases you to do so, have me beheaded."

What I take from this odd parable is that, in Epictetus's time, it was part of a boxer's character to have a set of wedding tackle. It was part of a philosopher's character to have a beard. Perhaps the boxer wouldn't mind cutting off a beard and perhaps the philosopher wouldn't mind cutting off the wedding tackle, but each held to the excellence of his own way of life despite all hazard.

Later on in the same chapter Epictetus tells us that he's no Socrates, but that if he tries to be Socrates and ends up "not too bad" it's good enough for him.

Maybe we're the people at Baton's training ground getting oiled up and trying to be the un-castrated athlete, though we have no real chance of actually attaining our aim, and maybe we'll learn to be content with being "not too bad."

I'm very open to further interpretation!