Quotes About Stoicism

No matter what anyone says or does, my task is to be good. Like gold or emerald or purple repeating to itself, "No matter what anyone says or does, my task is to be emerald, my color undiminished.

Objective judgment Ã¢â'¬Â¦ Unselfish action Ã¢â'¬Â¦ Willing acceptance Ã¢â'¬Â¦ of all external events.

Another does wrong. What is that to me? Let him look to it; he has his own disposition, his own activity. I have now what Universal Nature wills me to have, and I do what my own nature wills me to do.

If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgement about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgement now. But if anything in thy own disposition gives thee pain, who hinders thee from correcting thy opinion? And even if thou art pained because thou art not doing some particular thing which seems to thee to be right, why dost thou not rather act than complain?

And here thou must remember, that thy carriage in every business must be according to the worth and due proportion of it, for so shalt thou not easily be tired out and vexed, if thou shalt not dwell upon small matters longer than is fitting.

Do not be upset: all things follow the nature of the Whole, and in a little while you will be no one and nowhere. Concentrate on the matter in hand and see it for what it is. Remind yourself of your duty to be a good man and rehearse what man's nature demands: then do it straight and unswerving. Always, though, in kindness, integrity, and sincerity.

He who dreads death, dreads either an extinction of all sense, or dreads a different sort of sensation. If all sense is extinguished, there can be no sense of evil. If a different sort of sense is acquired, you become another sort of living creature; and don't cease to live.

guarding your freedom each and every hour with kindness, simplicity, and self-respect.

At best suffer patiently, if thou canst not suffer joyously.

How ridiculous and what a stranger he is who is surprised at anything that happens in life.

Seek what is conformable to thy nature, and strive towards this, even if it brings no reputation.

Why should any of these things that happen externally, so much distract thee?

To pass through this brief life as nature demands. To give it up without complaint.

How can I either be hurt by any of those, since it is not in their power to make me incur anything that is truly reproachful?

How can I either be hurt by any of those, since it is not in their power to make me incur anything that is truly reproachful? or angry, and ill affected towards him, who by nature is so near unto me?

Do not suppose you are hurt, and your complaint ceases; cease your complaint, and you are not hurt" (iv. 7)

And I observed that he had overcome all passion for boys;

This may ever be my comfort and security: my understanding, that ruleth over all, will not of itself bring trouble and vexation upon itself.

If there were anything harmful on the other side of death, they would have made sure that the ability to avoid it was within you.

Indifference to external events. And a commitment to justice in your own acts. Which means: thought and action resulting in the common good. What you were born to do.

Thus there are two reasons why you must be content with what happens to you: first because it was for you it came to pass, for you it was ordered and to you it was related, a thread of destiny stretching back to the most ancient causes; secondly because that which has come to each individually is a cause of the welfare and the completion in very truth of the actual continuance of that which governs the Whole.

the Stoics had always approved of participation in public life, and this stand struck a chord with the Roman aristocracy, whose code of values placed a premium on political and military activity.

Casting aside other things, hold to the precious few; and besides bear in mind that every man lives only the present, which is an indivisible point, and that all the rest of his life is either past or is uncertain.

You have seen those things, look now at these: do not trouble yourself, make yourself simple. Does a man do wrong? He does wrong to himself. Has some chance befallen you? It is well; from Universal Nature, from the beginning, all that befalls was determined for you and the thread was spun. The sum of the matter is this: life is short; the present must be turned to profit with reasonableness and right. Be sober without effort.