Famous Epictetus Quotations

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"A wise man is he who does not grieve for the thing which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."
by Epictetus
"You are a little soul carrying around a corpse."
by Epictetus
"Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens."
by Epictetus
"Only the educated are free."
by Epictetus
"A child understands fear, and the hurt and hate it brings."
by Epictetus
"All philosophy lies in two words Sustain and Abstain."
by Epictetus
"Any one thing in the creation is sufficient to demonstrate a Providence to an humble and grateful mind."
by Epictetus
"Appear to know only this,--never to fail nor fall."
by Epictetus
"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."
by Epictetus
"Bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast."
by Epictetus
"Control thy passions, lest they take vengeance on thee."
by Epictetus
"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."
by Epictetus
"Difficulties are things that show what men are."
by Epictetus
"Everything has two handles,--one by which it may be borne another by which it cannot."
by Epictetus
"First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak."
by Epictetus
"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do."
by Epictetus
"First say to yourself what you would be and then do what you have to do."
by Epictetus
"If you do not wish to be prone to anger, do not feed the habit; give it nothing which may tend to its increase."
by Epictetus
"If you do not wish to be prone to anger, do not feed the habit give it nothing which may tend to its increase."
by Epictetus
"If you would cure anger, do not feed it. Say to yourself 'I used to be angry every day then every other day now only every third or fourth day.' When you reach thirty days offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the gods."
by Epictetus
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."
by Epictetus
"In every affair consider what precedes and what follows, and then undertake it."
by Epictetus
"It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."
by Epictetus
"It is the action of an uninstructed person to reproach others for his own misfortune; of one entering instruction, to reproach himself; and one perfectly instructed, to reproach neither others nor himself."
by Epictetus
"Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly."
by Epictetus
"Know, first, who you are and then adorn yourself accordingly."
by Epictetus
"Man is troubled not by events, but by the meaning he gives them."
by 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."
by Epictetus
"No man is free who is not master of himself."
by Epictetus
"Practise yourself, for heaven's sake, in little things and thence proceed to greater."
by Epictetus
"Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you, and be silent."
by Epictetus
"Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle."
by 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."
by Epictetus
"Tell me where I can escape death: discover for me the country, show me the men to whom I must go, whom death does not visit. Discover to me a charm against death. If I have not one, what do you wish me to do? I cannot escape from death, but shall I die lamenting and trembling? . . . Therefore if I am able to change externals according to my wish, I change them: but if I cannot, I am ready to tear the eyes out of him who hinders me."
by Epictetus
"The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things."
by Epictetus
"The good or ill of a man lies within his own will."
by Epictetus
"The two powers which in my opinion constitute a wise man are those of bearing and forebearing."
by Epictetus
"There are some things which men confess with ease, and others with difficulty."
by Epictetus
"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will."
by Epictetus
"To a reasonable creature, that alone is insupportable which is unreasonable but everything reasonable may be supported."
by Epictetus
"We have two ears and one mouth so we may listen more and talk the less."
by Epictetus
"We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."
by Epictetus
"We must not believe the many, who say that only free people ought to be educated, but we should rather believe the philosophers who say that only the educated are free."
by Epictetus
"Were I a nightingale, I would act the part of a nightingale were I a swan, the part of a swan."
by Epictetus
"What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid of self-conceit. For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows."
by Epictetus
"What is the first business of one who practices philosophy To get rid of self-conceit. For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows."
by Epictetus
"When you close your doors, and make darkness within, remember never to say that you are alone, for you are not alone; nay, God is within, and your genius is within. And what need have they of light to see what you are doing?"
by Epictetus, Discourses
"When you close your doors, and make darkness within, remember never to say that you are alone, for you are not alone nay, God is within, and your genius is within. And what need have they of light to see what you are doing"
by Epictetus
"All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain."
by Epictetus
"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."
by Epictetus
"He is a drunkard who takes more than three glasses though he be not drunk."
by Epictetus
"Whenever you are angry, be assured that it is not only a present evil, but that you have increased a habit."
by Epictetus
"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."
by Epictetus
"Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them."
by Epictetus
"Who is not attracted by bright and pleasant children, to prattle, to creep, and to play with them?"
by Epictetus
"So you wish to conquer in the Olympics, my friend? And I too, by the Gods, and fine thing it would be! But first mark the conditions and the consequences, and then set to work. You will have to put yourself under discipline, to eat by rule, to aviod cakes and sweatmeats, to take exercise at the appointed hour whether you like it or no, in cold or heat; to abstain from cold drinks and from wine at your will; in a word, to give yourself over to the trainer as to a physician. Then in the conflict itself you are most likely enough to dislocate your wrist or twist your ankle, to swallow a great deall of dust, or to be severely thrashed, and, after all these things, to be defeated."
by Epictetus
"Covetousness like jealousy, when it has taken root, never leaves a person, but with their life. Cowardice is the dread of what will happen."
by Epictetus
"Liars are the cause of all the sins and crimes in the world."
by Epictetus
"Difficulties are things that show a person what they are."
by Epictetus
"Difficulties show men what they are. In case of any difficulty, God has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil."
by Epictetus
"For it is not death or hardship that is a fearful thing, but the fear of death and hardship."
by Epictetus
"No man is free who is not a master of himself."
by Epictetus
"Freedom is the right to live as we wish."
by Epictetus
"Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else."
by Epictetus
"God hath entrusted me with myself."
by Epictetus
"No great thing is created suddenly."
by Epictetus
"A ship should not ride on a single anchor, nor life on a single hope."
by Epictetus
"It is a sign of a dull nature to occupy oneself deeply in matters that concern the body; for instance, to be over much occupied about exercise, about eating and drinking, about easing oneself, about sexual intercourse."
by Epictetus
"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."
by Epictetus
"It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them."
by Epictetus
"Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Therefore, give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths. Remain steadfast...and one day you will build something that endures, something worthy of your potential."
by Epictetus
"You bear God within you, poor wretch, and know it not."
by Epictetus
"He who exercises wisdom exercises the knowledge which is about God."
by Epictetus
"We are not to give credit to the many, who say that none ought to be educated but the free; but rather to the philosophers, who say that the w..."
by Epictetus


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