Quotes About Stoicism

practice saying to every harsh appearance,1 You are an appearance, and in no manner what you appear to be.

Some things are up to us and some are not up to us. Our opinions are up to us, and our impulses, desires, aversions – in short, whatever is our own doing. Our bodies are not up to us, nor are our possessions, our reputations, or our public offices. . .

Before I became old I tried to live well; now that I am old, I shall try to die well; but dying well means dying gladly.

It is not reasonings that are wanted now,' he says, 'for there are books stuffed full of stoical reasonings. What is wanted, then? The man who shall apply them; whose actions may bear testimony to his doctrines. Assume this character for me, that we may no longer make use in the schools of the examples of the ancients, but may have some examples of our own.

In short, if we observe, we shall find that the animal man is pained by nothing so much as by that which is irrational; and, on the contrary, attracted to nothing so much as to that which is rational.

Epictetus is not superior to Socrates; but if he is not inferior, this is enough for me; for I shall never be a Milo, and yet I do not neglect my body; nor shall I be a Croesus, and yet I do not neglect my property; nor, in a word, do we neglect looking after anything because we despair of reaching the highest degree.

It is not reasonings that are wanted now for there are books stuffed full of stoical reasonings. What is wanted, then? The man who shall apply them; whose actions may bear testimony to his doctrines. Assume this character for me, that we may no longer make use in the schools of the examples of the ancients, but may have some examples of our own.

But if with trembling and lamentation you seek not to fall into that which you avoid, tell me how you are improving.

So in the field of assent you cannot be hindered or obstructed. 'Evidently.

Lead me, Fate, wherever you will, and I will cheerfully follow. For, even if I kick and wail, all the same I must follow. —Cleanthes

Every day you should put the ideas in action that protect against attachment to externals such as individual people, places or institutions – even your own body.

Behold the birth of tragedy: when idiots come face to face with the vicissitudes of life.

I must be exiled; but is there anything to keep me from going with a smile, calm and self-composed?

That's the kind of attitude you need to cultivate if you would be a philosopher, the sort of sentiments you should write down every day and put in practice.

Ask not that events should happen as you will, but let your will be that events should happen as they do, and you shall have peace.

you have the power of patience to deal with your difficulties.

True instruction is this:--to learn to wish that each thing should come to pass as it does. And how does it come to pass? As the Disposer has disposed it. Now He has disposed that there should be summer and winter, and plenty and dearth, and vice and virtue, and all such opposites, for the harmony of the whole.

They made you responsible only for what is in your power – the proper use of impressions.

Don't let the force of the impression when first it hits you knock you off your feet; just say to it, 'Hold on a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent.

Cilv?ks necieš no notikumiem, bet gan no to interpret?cijas. (Epikt?ts, 50–135.g.)

Don't hope that events will turn out the way you want, welcome events in whichever way they happen: this is the path to peace.

Put away the fear of death, and however much thunder and lightning you have to face, you will find the mind capable of remaining calm and composed regardless.

In time, you will grow to be confident that there is not a single impression that you will not have the moral means to tolerate.

Every moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what thou hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and freedom, and justice; and to give thyself relief from all other thoughts.