Epictetus quotes
All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.
All religions must be tolerated... for... every man must get to heaven in his own way.
Appearances to the mind are of four kinds. Things either are what they appear to be; or they neither are, nor appear to be; or they are, and do not appear to be; or they are not, and yet appear to be. Rightly to aim in all these cases is the wise man's task.
Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant.
Difficulties show men what they are. In case of any difficulty remember that God has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil.
First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
For it is not death or hardship that is a fearful thing, but the fear of death and hardship.
Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire.
Freedom is the right to live as we wish.
God has entrusted me with myself.
He is a drunkard who takes more than three glasses though he be not drunk.
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
If virtue promises happiness, prosperity and peace, then progress in virtue is progress in each of these for to whatever point the perfection of anything brings us, progress is always an approach toward it.
If you wish to be a writer, write.
Imagine for yourself a character, a model personality, whose example you determine to follow, in private as well as in public.
Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else.
It is not death or pain that is to be dreaded, but the fear of pain or death.
It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them.
It takes more than just a good looking body. You've got to have the heart and soul to go with it.
It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.
Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope.
No great thing is created suddenly.
No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.
No man is free who is not master of himself.
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.
Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig. I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.
One that desires to excel should endeavor in those things that are in themselves most excellent.
Only the educated are free.
People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.
Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.
The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.
The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.
The soul's impurity consists in bad judgments, and purification consists in producing in it right judgments, and the pure soul is one which has right judgments.
The two powers which in my opinion constitute a wise man are those of bearing and forbearing.
There is nothing good or evil save in the will.
There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.
To accuse others for one's own misfortunes is a sign of want of education. To accuse oneself shows that one's education has begun. To accuse neither oneself nor others shows that one's education is complete.
Unless we place our religion and our treasure in the same thing, religion will always be sacrificed.
We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
What will the world be quite overturned when you die?
When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger.
Whenever you are angry, be assured that it is not only a present evil, but that you have increased a habit.
Whoever does not regard what he has as most ample wealth, is unhappy, though he be master of the world.