Epictetus Quotes
-
If I can acquire money and also keep myself modest and faithful and magnanimous, point out the way, and I will acquire it.
-
Remember that you are an actor in a drama of such sort as the Author chooses: if short, then in a short one; if long, then in a long one. If it be His pleasure that you should enact a poor man, or a cripple, or a ruler, or a private citizen, see that you act it well. For this is your business, to act well the given part. But to choose it belongs to Another.
-
An ignorant person is inclined to blame others for his own misfortune. To blame oneself is proof of progress. But the wise man never has to blame another or himself.
-
Bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast.
-
When our friends are present we ought to treat them well; and when they are absent, to speak of them well.
-
What hurts this person is not the occurrence itself, for another person might not feel oppressed by this situation at all. What is hurting this person is the response he or she has uncritically adopted. It is not a demonstration of kindness or friendship to the people we care about to join them in indulging in wrongheaded, negative feelings.
-
Every place is safe to him who lives with justice.
-
Never look for your work in one place and your progress in another.
-
You are but an appearance, and not absolutely the thing you appear to be.
-
It is unreasonable to think we can earn rewards without being willing to pay their true price. It is always our choice whether or not we wish to pay the price for life's rewards.
-
When therefore we are hindered, or disturbed, or grieved, let us never attribute it to others, but to ourselves; that is, to our own principles. An uninstructed person will lay the fault of his own bad condition upon others. Someone just starting instruction will lay the fault on himself. Some who is perfectly instructed will place blame neither on others nor on himself.
-
Not things, but opinions about things, trouble men.
-
In prosperity it is very easy to find a friend; but in adversity it is the most difficult of all things.
-
You will do the greatest service to the state if you shall raise, not the roofs of the houses, but the souls of the citizens: for it is better that great souls should dwell in small houses rather than for mean slaves to lurk in great houses.
-
Men are not troubled by things themselves, but by their thoughts about them.
-
When you have decided that a thing ought to be done, and are doing it, never shun being seen doing it, even though the multitude should be likely to judge the matter amiss. For if you are not acting rightly, shun the act itself; if rightly, however, why fear misplaced censure? (172).
-
I must die. I must be imprisoned. I must suffer exile. But must I die groaning? Must I whine as well? Can anyone hinder me from going into exile with a smile? The master threatens to chain me: what say you? Chain me? My leg you will chain--yes, but not my will--no, not even Zeus can conquer that.
-
It is wicked to withdraw from being useful to the needy, and cowardly to give way to the worthless.
-
Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen.
-
It is hard to combine and unite these two qualities, the carefulness of one who is affected by circumstances, and the intrepidity of one who heeds them not. But it is not impossible: else were happiness also impossible.
-
If a man is unhappy, remember that his unhappiness is his own fault, for God made all men to be happy.
-
If any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone. For God hath made man to enjoy felicity and constancy of good. (122).
-
When one maintains his proper attitude in life, he does not long after externals. What would you have, O man?
-
Inner peace begins when we stop saying of things, 'I have lost it' and instead say, 'It has been returned to where it came from.' Why should it be any concern of yours who gives your things back to the world that gave them to you? The important thing is to take great care with what you have while the world lets you have it.