Epictetus Quotes

If you would be a reader read if a writer write.
Epictetus
There is nothing good or evil save in the will.
Epictetus
Practice yourself in little things and thence proceed to greater.
Epictetus
First learn the meaning of what you say and then speak.
Epictetus
First say to yourself what you would be and then do what you have to do.
Epictetus
Nature has given to men one tongue but two ears that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.
Epictetus
God has entrusted me with myself.
Epictetus
The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.
Epictetus
Ruin and recovery are both from within.
Epictetus
No man is free who is not master of himself.
Epictetus
Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired but by controlling that desire.
Epictetus
Do you know that disease and death must needs overtake us no matter what we are doing? ... What do you wish to be doing when it overtakes you?... If you have anything better to be doing when you are so overtaken get to work on that.
Epictetus
If you wish to live a life free from sorrow think of what is going to happen as if it had already happened.
Epictetus
Here is the beginning of philosophy: a recognition of the conflicts between men a search for their cause a condemnation of mere opinion .. . and the discovery of a standard of judgement.
Epictetus
All philosophy lies in two words sustain and abstain.
Epictetus
Do you know that disease and death must needs overtake us no matter what we are doing? ... What do you wish to be doing when it overtakes you? If you have anything better to be doing when you are so overtaken get to work on that.
Epictetus
It is no easy thing for a principle to become a man's own unless each day he maintains it and works it out in his life.
Epictetus
No great thing is created suddenly.
Epictetus
Do you know that disease and death must needs overtake us no matter what we are doing? ... What do you wish to be doing when it overtakes you?... If you have anything better to be doing when you are so overtaken get to work on that.
Epictetus
If you wish to live a life free from sorrow think of what is going to happen as if it had already happened.
Epictetus
Here is the beginning of philosophy: a recognition of the conflicts between men a search for their cause a condemnation of mere opinion .. . and the discovery of a standard of judgement.
Epictetus
All philosophy lies in two words sustain and abstain.
Epictetus
Do you know that disease and death must needs overtake us no matter what we are doing? ... What do you wish to be doing when it overtakes you? If you have anything better to be doing when you are so overtaken get to work on that.
Epictetus
It is no easy thing for a principle to become a man's own unless each day he maintains it and works it out in his life.
Epictetus
No great thing is created suddenly.
Epictetus
The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.
Epictetus
There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.
Epictetus
There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.
Epictetus
First say to yourself what you would be and then do what you have to do.
Epictetus
Bear and forbear.
Epictetus
Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired but by controlling the desire.
Epictetus
He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not but rejoices in what he has.
Epictetus
Men are not influenced by things but by their thoughts about things.
Epictetus
On the occasion of every accident that befalls you ... inquire what power you have for turning it to use.
Epictetus
We are not troubled by things but by the opinion which we have of things.
Epictetus
He is a drunkard who takes more than three glasses though he be not drunk.
Epictetus
No great 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.
Epictetus
So when the crisis is upon you remember that God like a trainer of wrestlers has matched you with a tough and stalwart antagonist... that you may prove a victor at the Great Games.
Epictetus
All philosophy in two words - sustain and abstain.
Epictetus
It is not death or pain that is to be dreaded but the fear of pain or death.
Epictetus
Difficulties are things that show what men are.
Epictetus
There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.
Epictetus
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.
Epictetus
Practice yourself for heaven's sake in little things and thence proceed to greater.
Epictetus
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.
Epictetus
We should realize that an opinion is not easily formed unless a person says and hears the same things every day and practises them in real life.
Epictetus
It isn't death, pain, exile or anything else you care to mention that accounts for the way we act, only our opinion about death, pain and the rest.
Epictetus
Why do you want to read anyway – for the sake of amusement or mere erudition? Those are poor, fatuous pretexts. Reading should serve the goal of attaining peace; if it doesn’t make you peaceful, what good is it?
Epictetus
Reading should serve the goal of attaining peace; if it doesn’t make you peaceful, what good is it?
Epictetus
I cannot call somebody ‘hard-working’ knowing only that they read and write. Even if ‘all night long’ is added, I cannot say it – not until I know the focus of all this energy.
Epictetus
Isn’t reading a kind of preparation for life?’ But life is composed of things other than books. It is as if an athlete, on entering the stadium, were to complain that he’s not outside exercising.This was the goal of your exercise, of your weights, your practice ring and your training partners.
Epictetus
If, on the other hand, we read books entitled On Impulse not just out of idle curiosity, but in order to exercise impulse correctly; books entitled On Desire and On Aversion so as not to fail to get what we desire or fall victim to what we would rather avoid; and books entitled On Moral Obligation in order to honour our relationships and never do anything that clashes or conflicts with this principle; then we wouldn’t get frustrated and grow impatient with our reading. Instead we would be satisfied to act accordingly. And rather than reckon, as we are used to doing, ‘How many lines I read, or wrote, today,’ we would pass in review how ‘I applied impulse today the way the philosophers recommend
Epictetus
Once I was liable to the same mistakes, but, thanks to God, no longer …’Well, isn’t it just as worthwhile to have devoted and applied yourself to this goal as to have read or written fifty pages?
Epictetus
You may fetter my leg, but Zeus himself cannot get the better of my free will.
Epictetus
Fortify yourself with contentment for this is an impregnable fortress.
Epictetus
As the sun does not wait for prayers and incantations tob e induced to rise, but immediately shines and is saluted by all, so do you also not wait for clappings of hands and shouts of praise tob e induced to do good, but be a doer of good voluntarily and you will be beloved as much as the sun.
Epictetus
A city is not adorned by external things, but by the virtue of those who dwell in it.
Epictetus
Thus Epicurus also, when he designs to destroy the natural fellowship of mankind, at the same time makes use of that which he destroys.For what does he say? ‘Be not deceived, men, nor be led astray, nor be mistaken: there is no natural fellowship among rational animals; believe me. But those who say otherwise, deceive you and seduce you by false reasons.’—What is this to you? Permit us to be deceived.Will you fare worse, if all the rest of us are persuaded that there is a natural fellowship among us, and that it ought by all means to be preserved? Nay, it will be much better and safer for you.Man, why do you trouble yourself about us? Why do you keep awake for us? Why do you light your lamp? Why do you rise early? Why do you write so many books, that no one of us may be deceived about the gods and believe that they take care of men; or that no one may suppose the nature of good to be other than pleasure?For if this is so, lie down and sleep, and lead the life of a worm, of which you judged yourself worthy: eat and drink, and enjoy women, and ease yourself, and snore.And what is it to you, how the rest shall think about these things, whether right or wrong? For what have we to do with you?You take care of sheep because they supply us with wool and milk, and last of all with their flesh. Would it not be a desirable thing if men could be lulled and enchanted by the Stoics, and sleep and present themselves to you and to those like you to be shorn and milked?For this you ought to say to your brother Epicureans: but ought you not to conceal it from others, and particularly before every thing to persuade them, that we are by nature adapted for fellowship, that temperance is a good thing; in order that all things may be secured for you?Or ought we to maintain this fellowship with some and not with others? With whom then ought we to maintain it?With such as on their part also maintain it, or with such as violate this fellowship?And who violate it more than you who establish such doctrines?What then was it that waked Epicurus from his sleepiness, and compelled him to write what he did write?
Epictetus
You know yourself what you are worth in your own eyes; and at what price you will sell yourself. For men sell themselves at various prices. This is why, when Florus was deliberating whether he should appear at Nero's shows, taking part in the performance himself, Agrippinus replied, 'Appear by all means.' And when Florus inquired, 'But why do not you appear?' he answered, 'Because I do not even consider the question.' For the man who has once stooped to consider such questions, and to reckon up the value of external things, is not far from forgetting what manner of man he is.
Epictetus
Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems
Epictetus