Epictetus Quotes Page 2

“If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, "He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.”

“If evil be said of thee, and if it be true, correct thyself; if it be a lie, laugh at it.”

“If they are wise, do not quarrel with them; if they are fools, ignore them.”

“If you do not wish to be prone to anger, do not feed the habit; give it nothing which may tend to its increase.”

“If you want anything good, you must get it from yourself.”

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.”

“If you would be a reader, read; if you wish to be a writer, write.”

“In any events, however seemingly dire, there is nothing to prevent us from searching for its hidden opportunity. It is a failure of the imagination not to do so. But to seek out the opportunity in situations requires a great deal of courage, for most people around you will persist in interpreting events in the grossest terms: success or failure, good or bad, right or wrong.”

“It is better to die of hunger having lived without grief and fear, than to live with a troubled spirit, amid abundance.”

“It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.”

“It is impossible that happiness, and yearning for what is not present, should ever be united.”

“It is more necessary for the soul to be cured than the body; for it is better to die than to live badly.”

“It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them.”

“It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

“Just because some people are nice to you doesn’t mean you should spend time with them. Just because they seek you out and are interested in you or your affairs doesn’t mean you should associate with them. The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

“Look not for any greater harm than this: destroying the trustworthy, self-respecting well-behaved man within you.”

“Make the necessary sacrifices that are the price for the worthiest goals: freedom, even-mindedness, and tranquility.”

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.”

“Men are not troubled by things themselves, but by their thoughts about them.”

“Most people don’t realize that both help and harm come from within ourselves. Instead they look to externals, mesmerized by appearances.”

“Most people tend to delude themselves into thinking that freedom comes from doing what feels good or what fosters comfort and ease. The truth is that people who subordinate reason to their feelings of the moment are actually slaves of their desires and aversions.”

“Never depend on the admiration of others. There is no strength in it. Personal merit cannot be derived from an external source.”

“No great thing is created suddenly.”

“No man is free who is not master of himself.”

“Nothing truly stops you. Nothing truly holds you back. For your own will is always within your control.”

“One of the best ways to elevate your character immediately is to find worthy role models to emulate… We all carry the seeds of greatness within us, but we need an image as a point of focus in order that they may sprout.”

“Only the educated are free.”

“Other people’s views and troubles can be contagious… If you encounter a downhearted friend, a grieving parent, or a colleague who has suffered a sudden reversal of fortune, be careful not to be overcome yourself by the apparent misfortune.”

“Practice having a grateful attitude and you will be happy.”

“Practice self-sufficiency. Don’t remain a dependent, malleable patient: Become your own soul’s doctor.”