Quotes from Epictetus

Whenever you are angry, be assured that it is not only a present evil, but that you have increased a habit.

Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.

It is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows.

Not every difficult and dangerous thing is suitable for training, but only that which is conducive to success in achieving the object of our effort.

Who is not attracted by bright and pleasant children, to prattle, to creep, and to play with them?

It is not my place in society that makes me well off, but my judgements, and these I can carry with me... These alone are my own and cannot be taken away.

To live a life of virtue, you have to become consistent, even when it isn't convenient, comfortable, or easy.

We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.

When you let go of your attention for a little while, do not think you may recover it whenever you please.

By accepting life's limits and inevitabilities and working with them rather than fighting them, we become free.

At every occasion in your life, do not forget to commune with yourself and ask of yourself how you can profit by it.

What concerns me is not the way things are, but rather the way people think things are.

Bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast.

Try not to react merely in the moment. Pull back from the situation. Take a wider view. Compose yourself.

Covetousness like jealousy, when it has taken root, never leaves a person, but with their life. Cowardice is the dread of what will happen.

To live a life of virtue, match up your thoughts, words, and deeds.

Ask yourself, "How are my thoughts, words and deeds affecting my friends, my spouse, my neighbour, my child, my employer, my subordinates, my fellow citizens?"

Living a good life leads to enduring happiness. Goodness in and of itself is the practice AND the reward.

We do not choose our own parts in life, and have nothing to do with those parts. Our duty is confined to playing them well.

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.

Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope.

Consider the bigger picture.....think things through and fully commit!

Have the wisdom to know what cannot be changed, and the strength to change what can.

If you have assumed a character above your strength, you have both acted in this matter in an unbecoming way, and you have neglected that which you might have fulfilled.