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Epictetus

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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All Men Ifs Life Philosophical Philosophy Wish Should Inspirational Persons Thinking Knows Happens Motivational Doe People Wells Giving Mind Opinion Remember

Famous Epictetus Quotes

“A ship should not be held by a single anchor; neither should life depend upon a single hope.”

Should Depends Ships Anchors

Author:Epictetus

“If anyone should tell you that a particular person has spoken critically of you, don't bother with excuses or defenses. Just smile and reply, "I guess that person doesn't know about all my other faults. Otherwise, he wouldn't have mentioned only these."”

Ifs Knows Should Persons Motivational Particular Faults Excuse Defense Bother Just Smile

Author:Epictetus

“Focus not on what he or she does, but on keeping to your higher purpose. Your own purpose should seek harmony with nature itself. For this is the true road to freedom.”

Should Doe Motivational Purpose Focus Higher Harmony Higher Purpose

Author:Epictetus

“Inner peace begins when we stop saying of things, 'I have lost it' and instead say, 'It has been returned to where it came from.' Why should it be any concern of yours who gives your things back to the world that gave them to you? The important thing is to take great care with what you have while the world lets you have it.”

World Giving Should Has Beens Important Motivational Care Lost Concern Important Things Inner Peace

Author:Epictetus

“We should not have either a blunt knife or a freedom of speech which is ill-managed.”

Should Speech Ill Knives Freedom Of Speech Blunt

Book:Enchiridion

Source: Enchiridion

“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.”

“We must be afraid of neither poverty nor exile nor imprisonment; of fear itself only should we be afraid.”

Should Fear Poverty Exile Imprisonment

Author:Epictetus

“You will do the greatest service to the state if you shall raise, not the roofs of the houses, but the souls of the citizens: for it is better that great souls should dwell in small houses rather than for mean slaves to lurk in great houses.”

Ifs Should Mean Soul States House Citizens Raises Slave Roof Great Souls

Book:The Discourses of Epictetus: With the Encheiridion and Fragments

Source: The Discourses of Epictetus: With the Encheiridion and Fragments

“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.'”

Knows Men Should Mean Shows Eye Values Forget Performances Sells Various Know Yourself Nero

Author:Epictetus

“Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you and be silent.”

Should Food Cooking Silent Culinary Eating Food Food And Eating

Author:Epictetus

“God has entrusted me with myself. No man is free who is not master of himself. A man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things. The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going.”

Knows Men World Should Littles Turns Masters Depends

Author:Epictetus

“A guide, on finding a man who has lost his way, brings him back to the right path—he does not mock and jeer at him and then take himself off. You also must show the unlearned man the truth, and you will see that he will follow. But so long as you do not show it him, you should not mock, but rather feel your own incapacity.”

Men Way Feels Should Long Doe Shows Lost Path Findings Guides Mock Right Path Incapacity

Book:The Golden Sayings of Epictetus In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

Source: The Golden Sayings of Epictetus In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

“If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: 'He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned.'”

Ifs Knows Should Trying Wells Doe Perfect Faults Ill Know Me

Author:Epictetus

“Bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast.”

Should Mind Passion Food Bears Cooking Culinary

Author:Epictetus

“It’s time to stop being vague. If you wish to be an extraordinary person, if you wish to be wise, then you should explicitly identify the kind of person you aspire to become.”

Ifs Should Kind Persons Motivational Wish Wise Extraordinary Aspire Vague Being Wise Extraordinary Person

Author:Epictetus

“Every difficulty in life presents us with an opportunity to turn inward and to invoke our own submerged inner resources. The trials we endure can and should introduce us to our strengths.”

Should Turns Opportunity Resources Difficulty Endure Trials Introducing Inward Invoke Submerged

Author:Epictetus

“Seek not that the things which happen should happen as you wish; but wish the things which happen to be as they are, and you will have a tranquil flow of life.”

Life Inspirational Should Happens Wish Flow Contentment Tranquil

Book:Enchiridion

Source: Enchiridion

“We should do everything both cautiously and confidently at the same time.”

Should Confidence Belief In Self

Book:Discourses

Source: Discourses

“It is a mark of a mean capacity to spend much time on the things which concern the body, such as much exercise, much eating, much drinking, much easing of the body, much copulation. But these things should be done as subordinate things: and let all your care be directed to the mind.”

Should Mind Mean Done Body Care Time Exercise Eating Capacity Concern Mark Drinking Subordinates

Book:Enchiridion

Source: Enchiridion

“Be not diverted from your duty by any idle reflections the silly world may make upon you, for their censures are not in your power and should not be at all your concerns.”

World Should May Duty Achievement Reflection Concern Silly Idle Censure

Author:Epictetus

“Wish that everything should come about just as it does.”

Should Doe Wish Acceptance

Author:Epictetus

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

Should Wisdom United Impossible Yearning

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

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

“It is unlikely that the good of a snail should reside in its shell: so is it likely that the good of a man should?”

Men Should Shells Unlikely Snail

Author:Epictetus

“The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.”

Men Inspirational Should Littles Philosophy Happiness Depends Essence Happy Niece How To Be Happy Others Happiness

Author:Epictetus

“Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope.”

Life Should Hope Childhood Philosophical Ships Rely Anticipation Anchors Hoping For The Best Niece Hopes In Life

Book:Enchiridion

Source: Enchiridion

“One that desires to excel should endeavor in those things that are in themselves most excellent.”

Should Desire Sports Achievement Perfection Philosophical Excellence Excellent Endeavor Brilliant Ideas

Author:Epictetus

“We should not moor a ship with one anchor, or our life with one hope.”

Should Our Lives Childhood Philosophical Ships Anticipation Anchors Moors Deep Life

Author:Epictetus

“Two principles we should always have ready — that there is nothing good or evil save in the will; and that we are not to lead events, but to follow them.”

Should Two Evil Principles Events Ready

Book:The Works of Epictetus: Consisting of His Discourses, in Four Books, the Enchiridion, and Fragments

Source: The Works of Epictetus: Consisting of His Discourses, in Four Books, the Enchiridion, and Fragments

“Remember that you are an actor in a drama of such sort as the Author chooses: if short, then in a short one; if long, then in a long one. If it be His pleasure that you should enact a poor man, or a cripple, or a ruler, or a private citizen, see that you act it well. For this is your business, to act well the given part. But to choose it belongs to Another.”

Ifs Men Should Wells Long Remember Actors Given Pleasure Poor Citizens Drama Rulers Poor Man Cripples

Book:The Enchiridion

Source: The Enchiridion