Quotes from Epictetus

It isn't events themselves that disturb people, but only their judgments about them.

End the habit of despising things that are not within your power, and apply your aversion to things that are within your power.

First say to yourself what you would be;and then do what you have to do.

Älä pyri siihen, että kaikki tapahtuisi kuten haluat, vaan halua kaiken tapahtuvan niin kuin se tapahtuu. Silloin elämäsi on tasaista virtaa.

Don't you want to be free of all that? [33] 'But how can I do it?' You've often heard how – you need to suspend desire completely, and train aversion only on things within your power. You should dissociate yourself from everything outside yourself – the body, possessions, reputation, books, applause, as well as office or lack of office. Because a preference for any of them immediately makes you a slave, a subordinate, and prone to disappointment.

I cannot call somebody 'hard-working' knowing only that they read and write. Even if 'all night long' is added, I cannot say it – not until I know the focus of all this energy.

REST.—If a man should be able to assent to this doctrine as he ought, that we are all sprung from God in an especial manner, and that God is the father both of men and of gods, I suppose that he would never have any ignoble or mean thoughts about himself. But if Cæsar (the emperor) should adopt you, no one could endure your arrogance; and if you know that you are the son of Zeus, will you not be elated?

for your part, do not desire to be a general, or a senator, or a consul, but to be free; and the only way to this is a disregard of things which lie not within our own power.

But first consider how much more sparing and patient of hardship the poor are than we.

The man has to learn 'what each specific thing means', as Socrates often said, and stop casually applying preconceptions to individual cases. This is the cause of everyone's troubles, the inability to apply common preconceptions to particulars. Instead the opinions of men as to what is bad diverge.

It is better to starve to death in a calm and confident state of mind than to live anxiously amidst abundance. And

Only consider at what price you sell your own will: if for no other reason, at least for this, that you sell it not for a small sum.

When something happens, the only thing in your power is your attitude toward it; you can either accept it or resent it.

Try to enjoy the great festival of life with other men.

Seek not for events to happen as you wish but rather wish for events to happen as they do and your life will go smoothly.

Dès qu'une image viendra te troubler l'esprit, pense à te dire : « Tu n'es qu'image, et non la réalité dont tu as l'apparence. » Puis, examine-la et soumets-la à l'épreuve des lois qui règlent ta vie : avant tout, vois si cette réalité dépend de nous ou n'en dépend pas ; et si elle ne dépend pas de nous, sois prêt à dire : « Cela ne me regarde pas. »

Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents.

And where there is ignorance, there is also want of learning and instruction in essentials.

If you wish to be a writer; write! Send quote to a friend Epictetus (50-120) Greek philosopher.

You can be invincible, if you enter into no contest in which it is not in your power to conquer.

Philosophy does not claim to secure for us anything outside our control. Otherwise it would be taking on matters that do not concern it. For as wood is the material of the carpenter, and marble that of the sculptor, so the subject matter of the art of life is the life of the self.

Let death and exile and every other thing which appears dreadful be daily before your eyes; but most of all death: and you will never think of anything mean nor will you desire anything extravagantly.

If you must be affected by other people's misfortunes, show them pity instead of contempt. Drop this readiness to hate and take offence.

If you keep yourself calm, poised and dignified, [10] if you observe rather than are observed, if you don't envy people with greater success, don't let externals disconcert you – if you do all this, what more do you need?