Epictetus Quotes
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There is a fine circumstance connected with the character of a Cynic,-that he must be beaten like an ass, and yet when beaten must love those who beat him, as the father, as the brother of all.
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Only the educated are free.
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There is only one thing for which God has sent me into the world, and that is to develop every kind of virtue or strength, and there is nothing in all the world that I cannot use for this purpose.
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Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not.
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If a person gave your body to any stranger he met on his way, you would certainly be angry. And do you feel no shame in handing over your own mind to be confused and mystified by anyone who happens to verbally attack you? (28) tr. Elizabeth Carter
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Freedom and slavery, the one is the name of virtue, and the other of vice, and both are acts of the will.
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Freedom is the name of virtue: Slavery, of vice…. None is a slave whose acts are free.
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If you seek Truth, you will not seek to gain a victory by every possible means; and when you have found Truth, you need not fear being defeated.
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Let not another's disobedience to Nature become an ill to you; for you were not born to be depressed and unhappy with others, but to be happy with them. And if any is unhappy, remember that he is so for himself; for God made all men to enjoy felicity and peace.
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What disturbs people's minds are not events but their judgments on events.
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Once you know who you are and to whom you are linked, you will know what to do.
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Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.
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It is more necessary for the soul to be cured than the body; for it is better to die than to live badly.
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If you wish to be a writer, write.
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Let silence be your general rule; or say only what is necessary and in few words.
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Confident because of our caution.
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From now on practice saying to everything that appears unpleasant: You are merely an appearance and NOT what you appear to be.
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Opportunity beckons more surely when misfortune comes upon a person than it ever does when that person is riding the crest of a wave of success. It sharpens a person's wits, if that person will let it, enabling him or her to see more clearly and evaluate situations with a more knowledgeable judgment.
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Never say of anything I have lost it, only say that I have given it back.
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The wise realize that some things are within their control, and most things are not. They learn early on to distinguish between what they can and can't regulate.
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In life our first job is this, to divide and distinguish things into two categories: externals I cannot control, but the choices I make with regard to them I do control. Where will I find good and bad? In me, in my choices.
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A ship should not be held by a single anchor; neither should life depend upon a single hope.
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When your thoughts, words, and deeds form a seamless fabric, you streamline your efforts and thus eliminate worry and dread.
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The essence of good and evil is a certain disposition of the will.