Marcus Epictetus > Quotes

“Stoic virtues are sometimes referred to as the four cardinal virtues: Practical wisdom (prudence) Moderation (temperance) Courage (fortitude) Integrity (justice) However, each of them individually is not considered a virtue. They may be thought of as traits or dispositions that strengthen and ennoble humankind but must be used together so one does not override the others. The Stoics sought after ethical notions and solid principles. They came up with eight principles to form the foundation for living a good life[VM10]. These principles have been used by people from all walks of life and can help you achieve your goals. Nature is rational. Illness, poverty, and death are not evil; they are natural. A life following rational nature is virtuous. Passion is irrational (apatheia). Wisdom is the root of all virtue. The universe is governed by a law of reason. Pleasure is neither good nor bad. Virtue should be sought as a matter of duty, not for pleasure.”
― Marcus Epictetus, Live a Stoic Life: Using the Ancient Art of Stoicism to Live a Modern Life, Become Tougher, Calmer and More Resilient - Daily Stoic Challenges, Stoicism ... and Stoic Journal

“Reflect on what you can control and acknowledge what you cannot. Feeling a need to justify yourself results from knowing you have not done your best or acted inappropriately.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“You cannot control external factors. Stoics focus more on things under their control. Fate is not one of those things. Their emotional and behavioral responses are.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“Seneca would say that he genuinely pitied people who had never suffered tragedy before. He said that, without an opponent, no one could truly know what they are capable of doing.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“Friedrich Nietzsche popularized the idea of embracing one’s destiny around 1882 using the Latin phrase Amor fati which means “love of fate.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“we are lonely. We all feel lonely at some point despite having people around us.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“So the next time you feel pain—whether it’s a broken arm or a bout of depression, or the sting of a rude remark—think about what a Stoic would say. They would say: “I don’t like this; I wish it hadn’t happened, but I am at least learning what pain is. I am exploring my tolerance for it. I am growing because of it.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“For starters, if you behave bravely during the day and get drunk at night, you are not genuinely noble because, by binge drinking, you violate the virtue of self- discipline. Virtue is a kit for all-or-nothing.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“Your daily routine should begin, perhaps counterintuitively, in the evening. Your actions the evening before truly set the foundation for the day ahead.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“Remember we are all two tragedies away from desperation.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“Collecting knowledge is not the only aim. We must collect the right kind of knowledge.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“The Stoic tenet, Amor Fati – “a love of fate” – isn’t just coping with your fate; it is openly welcoming it. It’s better to throw yourself into the game than warm the bench on the sidelines. Please note that this is different from fatalism. Stoicism says to change what you can but recognize the limits of your control. When you accept what’s happening, you can respond from the reality of the situation rather than how you wish it to be.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“Continuously remain kind and forgiving to yourself. Give some self-empathy. You are making an honest effort. That is everything you need to do.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“Temperance is one of the four classical cardinal virtues. You have many easy events to do it daily; consider every time you sit and eat a chance to practice.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“When you do not worry about other people‘s opinions, you can waste less time and focus on yourself and your goals.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“Epictetus instructed the following, “Never say of anything, “I have lost it”; but, “I have returned it.”“ This is develops from the understanding of what we can and cannot control. What we can control, we can own. What we cannot control, we cannot own.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“Reading: Learning to read is the biggest single shortcut to learning about the persons we desire to be more like.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“Our contentment comes from bringing goodness to the world by supporting others and advancing humanity, something we can do daily.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“Eudemonia is a little difficult to interpret. Think of it as ultimate happiness or attainable satisfaction —a lofty, flourishing, smoothly flowing life: The Good Life.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“Continuously be prepared to give back what you have been given and be appreciative for the time it was yours to utilize”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“The ancient Stoics saw every day as brimming with possibilities. A single conversation or a single occurrence can fully alter the course of your life.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“Nature has bound us to each other. It has taught us compatibility and mutual love. Hold everything together that is important to co-exist in this world. We all stem from one common source.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“Fate is not making you suffer personally; you are too small for that. Negative events happen as a part of life and that is inevitable.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“Consider everything as if it is happening for the last time. In this way, you will become more focused and appreciate everything in the moment. Particularly be present and attentive when you spend time with people. You never know when they will leave your life. Put the phone away and pay attention. It is not just about hearing, but actually listening to others.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“Learn to balance the books of your life each day. When you do that and put the finishing touches to your life every day, time will never feel limited.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“This routine of reviewing will immensely enhance your mindfulness and attention, which is the prerequisite in practicing Stoicism effectively. The awareness of what you are doing each moment is a must if you want to understand why you are doing that and effectively boost yourself. Otherwise, you may fall into dangerous reactivity and lose your path, as you do not know or understand your actions.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“When we show resentment, we wrongly assume that we had a choice in what happens to us. Accepting the events as they are will bring you freedom and peace.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“Life can be much simpler if you reduce your need for physical comforts. Set your targets for the exercise and stick to them. This will make you stronger.”
― Marcus Epictetus, The Stoic way of Life: The Ultimate Guide of Stoicism to make your Everyday Modern Life Calm, Confident - Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance

“Do not track your good deeds like they can be cashed in at the karmic bank. Each good deed, each time you help, is a single instance of being purely human. Help, but do not expect to get a reward in return.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive

“In Buddhist texts, one term that is very prominent is maraṇasati – which means ‘remember death can strike at any time.”
― Marcus Epictetus, How to Practice Stoicism: Lead the stoic way of life to Master the Art of Living, Emotional Resilience & Perseverance - Make your everyday Modern life ... & Positive