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Epictetus Quotes about Life

All Epictetus Quotes Achievement Adversity Anger Anxiety Appearance Art Attitude Blame Business Challenges Character Children Choices Communication Confidence Contentment Cooking Death Desire Determination Difficulty Discipline Duty Dying Eating Education Effort Evil Exercise Failure Feelings Fighting Focus Food Freedom Giving God Gratitude Greatness Happiness Happy Harmony Heart Heaven Honor Hurt Inspiration Inspirational Judgement Judgment Justice Kindness Knowledge Learning Life quotes Love Lying Money Motivational Pain Patience Philosophy Pleasure Positive Positive Thinking Power Praise Progress Purpose Reality Religion Responsibility Running Silence Sorrow Soul Suffering Time Training Tranquility Truth Understanding Victory Virtue Waiting Wife Wisdom Worry Writing

Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours.

Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours.

Life, Jealousy, Envy

Epictetus, Sharon Lebell (2013). “The Art of Living: The Classical Mannual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness”, p.4, Harper Collins

Don't explain your philosophy. Embody it.

Inspirational, Life, Positive

Try not to react merely in the moment. Pull back from the situation. Take a wider view. Compose yourself.

Life, Views, Trying

Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. Once you have determined the spiritual principles you wish to exemplify, abide by these rules as if they were laws, as if it were indeed sinful to compromise them. Don't mind if others don't share your convictions. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer.

Life, Spiritual, Self

Freedom and happiness are won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.

Life, Lying, Freedom And Happiness

If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.

Life, Stupid, Silly

Epictetus (2012). “The Handbook of Epictetus”, p.6, Simon and Schuster

As you think, so you become.....Our busy minds are forever jumping to conclusions, manufacturing and interpreting signs that aren't there.

Life, Thinking, Jumping

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.

Inspirational, Life, Motivational

Epictetus (1807). “The Works of Epictetus: Consisting of His Discourses in Four Books Preserved by Arrian, the Enchiridion, and Fragments”, p.111

What is a good person? One who achieves tranquillity by having formed the habit of asking on every occasion, "what is the right thing to do now?"

Life, Asking, Good Person

When something happens, the only thing in your power is your attitude toward it; you can either accept it or resent it.

Life, Attitude, Accepting

Epictetus, Sharon Lebell (2013). “The Art of Living: The Classical Mannual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness”, p.7, Harper Collins

Men are not troubled by things themselves, but by their thoughts about them

Life, Inspiration, Men

No matter where you find yourself, comport yourself as if you were a distinguished person.

Life, Finding Yourself, Matter

You are a little soul carrying around a corpse.

Life, Philosophical, Soul

Epictetus (1925). “Epictetus: the Discourses as reported by Arrian, the Manual, and fragments”

Ask yourself, "How are my thoughts, words and deeds affecting my friends, my spouse, my neighbour, my child, my employer, my subordinates, my fellow citizens?"

Life, Children, Deeds

All religions must be tolerated for every man must get to heaven in his own way.

Life, Spiritual, Acceptance

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.

Life, Motivational, Happiness

It is not he who reviles or strikes you who insults you, but your opinion that these things are insulting.

Life, Philosophical, Insults You

Only the educated are free.

Life, Education, Teacher

Epictetus (2012). “Discourses (Books 1 and 2)”, p.65, Courier Corporation

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

Inspirational, Life, Motivational

Don't demand or expect that events happen as you would wish them do. Accept events as they actually happen. That way, peace is possible.

Life, Wish, Events

Epictetus, Sharon Lebell (2013). “The Art of Living: The Classical Mannual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness”, p.15, Harper Collins

Remember that you ought to behave in life as you would at a banquet. As something is being passed around it comes to you; stretch out your hand, take a portion of it politely. It passes on; do not detain it. Or it has not come to you yet; do not project your desire to meet it, but wait until it comes in front of you. So act toward children, so toward a wife, so toward office, so toward wealth.

Life, Children, Hands

"The Enchiridion". Book translated by Elizabeth Carter, 2006.

When we name things correctly, we comprehend them correctly, without adding information or judgements that aren't there. Does someone bathe quickly? Don't say be bathes poorly, but quickly. Name the situation as it is, don't filter it through your judgments. Give your assent only to that which is actually true.

Life, Names, Giving

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

Life, Hope, Niece

Epictetus, George Long (2004). “Enchiridion”, p.41, Courier Corporation

It is difficulties that show what men are.

Life, Courage, Men

Epictetus (1967). “The Discourses as Reported by Arrian: The Manual, and Fragments”

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.

Life, Education, Teaching

Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Lucius Annaeus Seneca (2015). “Stoic Six Pack: Meditations of Marcus Aurelius The Golden Sayings Fragments and Discourses of Epictetus Letters from a Stoic and The Enchiridion”, p.499, Lulu.com

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