Aedan

“Epictetus was a slave: his ideal man is without any particular rank, and may exist in any grade of society, but above all he is to be sought in the deepest and lowest social classes, as the silent and self-sufficient man in the midst of a general state of servitude, a man who defends himself alone against the outer world, and is constantly living in a state of the highest fortitude. He is distinguished from the Christian especially, because the latter lives in hope in the promise of “unspeakable glory,” permits presents to be made to him, and expects and accepts the best things from divine love and grace, and not from himself. Epictetus, on the other hand, neither hopes nor allows his best treasure to be given him—he possesses it already, holds it bravely in his hand, and defies the world to take it away from him. Christianity was devised for another class of ancient slaves, for those who had a weak will and weak reason—that is to say, for the majority of slaves.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Daybreak: Thoughts on the Prejudices of Morality

“Let us admit to ourselves without trying to be considerate, how every higher culture on earth has begun. Human beings whose nature was
still natural, barbarians in every terrible sense, men of prey who were still in possession of unbroken strength of will and lust for power,
hurled themselves upon weaker, more civilized, more peaceful races. In the beginning the noble caste was always the barbarian caste: their
predominance lied in not only physical strength, but also in strength of soul. They were more whole human beings, which means, at every level, more whole beasts.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

“Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can’t control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible.”
― Epictetus, The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Remind yourself that what you love is mortal … at the very moment you are taking joy in something, present yourself with the opposite impressions. What harm is it, just when you are kissing your little child, to say: Tomorrow you will die, or to your friend similarly: Tomorrow one of us will go away, and we shall not see one another any more?”
― Epictetus