Google
|
The quotations are arranged by author name.
Current counts: Authors: 8,146. Quotations: 38,970
Select the first character of the author's last name that you want to look at:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
|
| Epictetus
A child understands fear and the hurt and hate it brings.A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs. A man that seeks truth and loves it must be reckoned precious to any human society. A ship ought not to be held by one anchor, nor life by a singe hope. A thing either is what it appears to be; or it is not, but yet appears to be; or it is, but does not appear to be; or it is not, and does not appear to be. A wise man is he who does not grieve for the thing which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain. All religions must be tolerated for every man must get to heaven in his own way. 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. Be not swept off your feet by the vividness of the impression, but say, "Impression, wait for me a little. Let me see what you are and what you represent. Let me try you." Bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast. 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. Control thy passions, lest they take vengeance on thee. Covetousness like jealousy, when it has taken root, never leaves a person, but with their life. Cowardice is the dread of what will happen. Difficulties show men what they are. In case of any difficulty remember that the gods have pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil. Do not seek to have events happen as you want them to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen, and your life will go well. Everything has two handles, one by which it may be borne, the other by which it may not. First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak. First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. For it is not death or hardship that is a fearful thing, but the fear of death and hardship. Fortify yourself with contentment, for this is an impregnable fortress. Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire. Freedom is the right to live as we wish. God has delivered yourself to your care, and says, "I had no fitter to trust than you." God has entrusted me with myself. God has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil. He is a drunkard who takes more than three glasses though he be not drunk. He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. He who exercises wisdom exercises the knowledge which is about the gods. I am not eternity, but a man; a part of the whole, as an hour is of the day. I have a lantern. You steal my lantern. What, then, is your honour worth no more to you than the price of my lantern? I have never wished to cater to the crowd; for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not know. If a person gave your body to any stranger he met on his way, you would certainly be angry. and do you feel no shame in handing over your own mind to be confused and mystified by anyone who happens to verbally attack you? If evil be spoken of you and it be true, correct yourself, if it be a lie, laugh at it. If virtue promises happiness, prosperity and peace, then progress in virtue is progress in each of these for to whatever point the perfection of anything brings us, progress is always an approach toward it. 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 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." If you wish to be a writer, write. 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. Imagine for yourself a character, a model personality, whose example you determine to follow, in private as well as in public. In every affair consider what precedes and what follows, and then undertake it. Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else. 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. It is better to advise than upbraid, for the one corrects the erring; the other only convicts them. It is difficulties that show what men are. It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knowsIt is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows. It is not death or pain that is to be dreaded, but the fear of pain or death. It is not he who gives abuse that affronts, but the view that we take of it as insulting; so that when one provokes you it is your own opinion which is provoking. It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them. It is the sign of a dull mind to dwell upon the cares of the body, to prolong exercise, eating and drinking and other bodily functions. These things are best done by the way; all your attention must be given to the mind. It is your own convictions which compels you; that is, choice compels choice. It takes more than just a good looking body. You've got to have the heart and soul to go with it. It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly. Let death and exile, and all other things which appear terrible be daily before your eyes, but chiefly death, and you win never entertain any abject thought, nor too eagerly covet anything. Liars are the cause of all the sins and crimes in the world. Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens. Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them. Men are not worried by things that happen, but by their thoughts about those things. Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope. 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. No man is free who is not master of himself. Not every difficult and dangerous thing is suitable for training, but only that which is conducive to success in achieving the object of our effort. 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. Nothing is in reality either pleasant or unpleasant by nature; but all things become so through habit. On the occasion of every accident that befalls you, remember to turn to yourself and inquire what power you have for turning it to use. One that desires to excel should endeavor in those things that are in themselves most excellent. Only the educated are free. People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them. Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater. Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you, and be silent. Remember that you are an actor in a play and the playwright chooses the manner of it...your business is to act the character that is given you and act it well; the choice of the cast is another's… 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. The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things. The good or ill of a man lies within his own will. The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests. The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. The materials of action are variable, but the use we make of them should be constant. The soul's impurity consists in bad judgments, and purification consists in producing in it right judgments, and the pure soul is one which has right judgments. The two powers which in my opinion constitute a wise man are those of bearing and forbearing. The universe is but one great city, full of beloved ones, divine and human, by nature endeared to each other. The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going. There is nothing good or evil save in the will. There is only one way to happiness, and that is cease worrying about the things which are beyond the power of our will. 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. Unless we place our religion and our treasure in the same thing, religion will always be sacrificed. We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them. We have two ears and one mouth so we may listen more and talk the less. 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. Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. What concerns me is not the way things are, but rather the way people think things are. 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. What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? I was practicing for this, I was training for this. What, will the world be quite overturned when you die? When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger. 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? Whenever you are angry, be assured that it is not only a present evil, but that you have increased a habit. Wherever any one is against his will, that is to him a prison. Who is not attracted by bright and pleasant children, to prattle, to creep, and to play with them? Whoever does not regard what he has as most ample wealth, is unhappy, though he be master of the world. Whoever then wishes to be free, let him neither wish for anything nor avoid anything which depends on others. If he does not observe this rule, he must be a slave. You are a little soul carrying around a corpse. You may be always victorious if you will never enter into any contest where the issue does not wholly depend upon yourself. You may fetter my leg, but Zeus himself cannot get the better of my free will. Your master is he who controls that on which you have set your heart or wish to avoid. |
|
Sports Quotations.
Show Business Quotations.
|