Epictetus Quotes

Philosopher

Epictetus was a renowned Greek philosopher born in 55 AD and died in 135 AD. He founded the Stoic school of philosophy, emphasizing the importance of reason, morality, and self-control, which had a profound impact on subsequent philosophy.

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Famous Epictetus Quotes

“Who exactly do you want to be? What kind of person do you want to be? What are your personal ideals? Whom do you admire? What are their special traits that you would make your own It's time to stop being vague. If you wish to be an extraordinary person, if you wish to become wise, then you should explicitly identify the kind of person you aspire to become. If you have a daybook, write down who you're trying to be, so that you can refer to this self-determination. Precisely describe the demeanor you want to adopt so that you may preserve it when you are by yourself or with other people.”

“All human beings seek the happy life, but many confuse the means - for example, wealth and status - with that life itself. This misguided focus on the means to a good life makes people get further from the happy life. The really worthwhile things are the virtuous activities that make up the happy life, not the external means that may seem to produce it.”

“In trying to please other people, we find ourselves misdirected toward what lies outside our sphere of influence. In doing so, we lose our hold on our lifes purpose.”

People Trying Lying Purpose Loses Influence Please Spheres Sphere Of Influence

Author:Epictetus

“Wisdom means understanding without any doubt that circumstances do not rise to meet our expectations. Events happen as they may. People behave as they will.”

People May Mean Happens Understanding Doubt Events Circumstances Expectations Behave

Author:Epictetus

“Embrace reality. Think about what delights you - the small luxuries on which you depend, the people whom you cherish most. But remember that they have their own distinct character, which is quite a separate matter from how we happen to regard them.”

People Thinking Matter Character Reality Happens Remember Depends Regard Embrace Delight Luxury Cherish

Author:Epictetus

“Never depend on the admiration of others for self-satisfaction. It is a fact of life that other people, even people who love you, will not necessarily agree with your ideas, understand you always, or share your enthusiasms.”

People Ideas Self Facts Share Love You Depends Agree Satisfaction Enthusiasm Admiration Facts Of Life Self-satisfaction

Author:Epictetus

“What hurts this person is not the occurrence itself, for another person might not feel oppressed by this situation at all. What is hurting this person is the response he or she has uncritically adopted. It is not a demonstration of kindness or friendship to the people we care about to join them in indulging in wrongheaded, negative feelings.”

People Feels Persons Feelings Might Care Hurt Situation Kindness Negative Response Oppressed Adopted Demonstration Negative Feelings

Author:Epictetus

“Attach yourself to what is spiritually superior, regardless of what other people think or do. Hold to your true aspirations no matter what is going on around you.”

People Thinking Inspirational Matter No Matter What Superiors Aspiration

Author:Epictetus

“Other people's views and troubles can be contagious. Don't sabotage yourself by unwittingly adopting negative, unproductive attitudes through your associations with others.”

People Views Attitude Trouble Negative Association Contagious Sabotage Adopting Unproductive

Author:Epictetus

“Common and vulgar people ascribe all ills that they feel to others; people of little wisdom ascribe to themselves; people of much wisdom, to no one.”

People Feels Littles Common Adversity Vulgar

Author:Epictetus

“A half-hearted spirit has no power. Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Average people enter into their endeavors headlong and without care.”

People Motivational Care Spirit Effort Half Determination Average Outcomes Endeavor Hearted Half Hearted

Author:Epictetus

“The people have a right to the truth as they have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

People Truth Happiness Liberty Honesty Pursuit Pursuit Of Happiness Right To Life Life Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness

Author:Epictetus

“What disturbs people's minds are not events but their judgments on events.”

People Mind Problem Events Judgment

Author:Epictetus

“It is not a demonstration of kindness or friendship to the people we care about to join them in indulging in wrongheaded, negative feelings. We do a better service to ourselves and others by remaining detached and avoiding melodramatic reactions.”

People Feelings Motivational Care Kindness Negative Reactions Avoiding Demonstration Detached Negative Feelings

Author:Epictetus

“Who are those people by whom you wish to be admired? Are they not these whom you are in the habit of saying that they are mad? What then? Do you wish to be admired by the mad?”

People Wish Habit Mad

Book:Discourses

Source: Discourses

“What disturbs people, these are not things, but the judgments relating to things”

People Judgment

Author:Epictetus

“What concerns me is not the way things are, but rather the way people think things are.”

People Thinking Way Life Inspirational Motivational Concern

Author:Epictetus

“Don't be concerned with other people's impressions of you. They are dazzled and deluded by appearances. Stick with your purpose. This alone will strengthen your will and give your life coherence.”

People Giving Purpose Concerned Sticks Appearance Impression Deluded Coherence

Author:Epictetus

“And be silent for the most part, or else make only the most necessary remarks, and express these in few words. But rarely, and when occasion requires you to talk, talk, indeed, but about no ordinary topics. Do not talk about gladiators, or horseraces, or athletes, or things to eat or drink - topics that arise on all occasions; but above all, do not talk about people, either blaming, or praising, or comparing them.”

People Communication Drink Ordinary Praise Blame Silent Athlete Arise Occasions Compare Topics Remarks Few Words All Occasions

Book:The Discourses as Reported by Arrian: The Manual, and Fragments

Source: The Discourses as Reported by Arrian: The Manual, and Fragments

“When something happens, the only thing in your power is your attitude toward it. It is not the things that disturb us, but our interpretation of their significance. Things and people are not what we wish them to be nor are they what they seem to be. They are what they are.”

People Seems Happens Wish Attitude Things Happen Significance Interpretation

Author:Epictetus

“Things themselves don't hurt or hinder us. Things simply are what they are. How we view these things is another matter.People think what they will think; it is of no concern to us.”

People Thinking Matter Hurt Views Concern Hinder

Author:Epictetus

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

People Friendship Company Keys Encouragement Uplifting Bitterness Express Yourself Best Friend Famous Inspirational Good Company Company You Keep Surround Yourself With Good People Company We Keep

Author:Epictetus

“People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.”