Epictetus > Quotes

“Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.”
― Epictetus, The Art of Living: The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness & Effectiveness

“Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire.”
― Epictetus

“Every habit and faculty is confirmed and strengthened by the corresponding actions, that of walking by walking, that of running by running. If you wish to be a good reader, read; if you wish to be a good writer, write. If you should give up reading for thirty days one after the other, and be engaged in something else, you will know what happens. So also if you lie in bed for ten days, get up and try to take a rather long walk, and you will see how wobbly your legs are. In general, therefore, if you want to do something, make a habit of it; if you want not to do something, refrain from doing it, and accustom yourself to something else instead.”
― Epictetus, Epictetus. The Discourses as Reported By Arrian. Vol. I. Books 1 and 2. With an English Translation By W. A. Oldfather

“Above all, remember that the door stands open. Be not more fearful than children; but as they, when they weary of the game, cry, "I will play no more," even so, when thou art in the like case, cry, "I will play no more" and depart. But if thou stayest, make no lamentation.”
― Epictetus, The Golden Sayings of Epictetus

“Tell yourself what you want to be, then act your part accordingly.”
― Epictetus, Discourses and Selected Writings

“Fortify yourself with contentment for this is an impregnable fortress.”
― Epictetus, Enchiridion and Selections from the Discourses

“For I am not Eternity, but a human being—a part of the whole, as an hour is part of the day. I must come like the hour, and like the hour must pass!”
― Epictetus, The Golden Sayings of Epictetus

“To admonish is better than to reproach for admonition is mild and friendly, but reproach is harsh and insulting; and admonition corrects those who are doing wrong, but reproach only convicts them.”
― Epictetus, Enchiridion and Selections from the Discourses

“For where you find unrest, grief, fear, frustrated desire, failed aversion, jealousy and envy, happiness has no room for admittance. And where values are false, these passions inevitably follow.”
― Epictetus, Discourses and Selected Writings

“Wherever I go it will be well with me, for it was well with me here, not on account of the place, but of my judgments which I shall carry away with me, for no one can deprive me of these; on the contrary, they alone are my property, and cannot be taken away, and to possess them suffices me wherever I am or whatever I do.”
― Epictetus

“The gods do not exists, and even if they exist they do not trouble themselves about people, and we have nothing in common with them. The piety and devotion to the gods that the majority of people invoke is a lie devised by swindlers and con men and, if you can believe it, by legislators, to keep criminals in line by putting the fear of God into them.”
― Epictetus, Discourses and Selected Writings

“And the way to be free is to let go of anything that is not within your control.”
― Epictetus, The Manual: A Philosopher's Guide to Life

“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, Of Human Freedom

“For in this Case, 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 Well-educated alone are free.”
― Epictetus, All the Works of Epictetus

“If you have an earnest desire towards philosophy, prepare yourself from the very first to have the multitude laugh and sneer, and say, "He is returned to us a philosopher all at once; "and "Whence this supercilious look?" Now, for your part, do not have a supercilious look indeed; but keep steadily to those things which appear best to you, as one appointed by God to this particular station. For remember that, if you are persistent, those very persons who at first ridiculed will afterwards admire you. But if you are conquered by them, you will incur a double ridicule.”
― Epictetus Epictetus, The Enchiridion of Epictetus - A Classic Handbook of Stoic Philosophy and Practical Wisdom

“Reading should serve the goal of attaining peace; if it doesn’t make you peaceful, what good is it?”
― Epictetus

“What upsets people is not things themselves but their judgements about these things.”
― Epictetus

“What is death? A "tragic mask." Turn it and examine it. See, it does not bite. The poor body must be separated from the spirit either now or later, as it was separated from it before. Why, then, are you troubled, if it be separated now? for if it is not separated now, it will be separated afterward. Why? That the period of the universe may be completed, for it has need of the present, and of the future, and of the past. What is pain? A mask. Turn it and examine it. The poor flesh is moved roughly, then, on the contrary, smoothly. If this does not satisfy you, the door is open: if it does, bear. For the door ought to be open for all occasions; and so we have no trouble.”
― Epictetus, The Discourses

“Adopt new habits yourself: consolidate your principles by putting them into practice.”
― Epictetus, Discourses and Selected Writings

“The wise person knows it is fruitless to project hopes and fears on the future. This only leads to forming melodramatic representations in your mind and wasting time.”
― Epictetus, The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness

“Freedom is not achieved by satisfying desire, but by eliminating it. Assure yourself of this by expending as much effort on these new ambitions as you did on those elusive goals. Work day and night to obtain a liberated frame of mind. Instead of a rich old man, cultivate the company of a philosopher. Be seen hanging around his door for a change. There’s no shame in the association, and you won’t go away unedified or empty-handed, provided you go with the right attitude. Try, at least - There in no shame in making an honest effort.”
― Epictetus, Discourses and Selected Writings

“Is then the fruit of a fig-tree not perfect suddenly and in one hour, and would you possess the fruit of a man's mind in so short a time and so easily?”
― Epictetus, The Discourses

“Who, then, is the invincible human being? One who can be disconcerted by nothing that lies outside the sphere of choice.”
― Epictetus, Discourses, Fragments, Handbook

“It is possible to learn the will of nature from the things in which we do not differ from each other. For example, when someone else's little slave boy breaks his cup we are ready to say, “It's one of those things that just happen.” Certainly, then, when your own cup is broken you should be just the way you were when the other person's was broken. Transfer the same idea to larger matters. Someone else's child is dead, or his wife. There is no one would not say, “It's the lot of a human being.” But when one's own dies, immediately it is, “Alas! Poor me!” But we should have remembered how we feel when we hear of the same thing about others.”
― Epictetus, The Handbook (The Encheiridion)

“Take care not to hurt the ruling faculty of your mind. If you were to guard against this in every action, you should enter upon those actions more safely.”
― Epictetus, The New Enchiridion

“Be happy when you find that doctrines you have learned and analysed are being tested by real events. If you’ve succeeded in removing or reducing the tendency to be mean and critical, or thoughtless, or foul-mouthed, or careless, or nonchalant; if old interests no longer engage you, at least not to the same extent; then every day can be a feast day – today because you acquitted yourself well in one set of circumstances, tomorrow because of another.”
― Epictetus, Of Human Freedom

“Those proficient praise no one, blame no one, and accuse no one. They say nothing concerning their self as being anybody or knowing anything.”
― Epictetus, The New Enchiridion

“He who exercises wisdom, exercises the knowledge which is about God.”
― Epictetus, Enchiridion and Selections from the Discourses

“If you have assumed a character beyond your strength, you have both played a poor figure in that, and neglected one that is within your powers.”
― Epictetus, The Golden Sayings of Epictetus

“إلام تنتظر حتى تنتدب نفسك لأجل المراتب ولا تحيد عن حدود العقل؟ لقد تلقيت النظريات التي ينبغي الإمام بها وألممت بها. أي معلّم آخر إذن ما زلت ترتقبه حتى تُحيلَ إليه مهمة تقويم ذاتك؟ أنت لم تعُد صبيا لقد كبرت. فإذا بقيت مهملًا كسولا، وما تنفك تسوّف وتماطل وترجئ اليوم الذي ستنتبه فيه إلى نفسك، فلن تراوح وستظل جهولًا في حياتك وفي مماتك. الآن إذن اعتبر نفسّك جديرًا بالعيش كراشدٍ وسالك على درت الفلسفة، وخذ كل ما تراه حقا واجعله قانونا صلبا لا يقبل الانتهاك. فإذا عرض لك عارض من ألم أو لذة أو مجْدٍ أو شين فتذكّر أن النزال الآن، الأوليمبياد الآن ولا يمكن أن تؤجل، وبانكسارة واحدة وتخاذلٍ واحد يذهب الفوز أو يأتي. هكذا بلغ سقراط الكمال؛ مقوَّمًا نفسه بكل وسيلة؛ غيرَ مُصغ إلى شيء سوى العقل، ورغم أنك لست سقراطًا بعد فإنه ينبغي عليك أن تعيش كمن يطمح أن يكون سقراطًا.”
― Epictetus, The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness