Noah Meyer’s Reviews > Meditations and Other Classics of Stoic Philosophy > Status Update

If a man has reported to you, that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make any defense to what has been told you; but reply, The man did not know the rest of my fault, for he would not have mentioned these only.
- Epictetus

But if God had entrusted an orphan to you, would you thus neglect him? He has delivered yourself to your own care, and says: “I had no one fitter to intrust him to than yourself; keep him for me, such as he is by nature, modest, faithful, erect, and terrified, free from passion and perturbation.“ And then you do not keep him such.
- Epictetus

“Do not, I beg you, dread those things which the immortal gods apply to our minds like spurs: misfortune is virtue’s opportunity. Those men may justly be called unhappy who are stupified with excess of enjoyment…Is it not better, with virtue by one’s side, to endure continual misfortune, than to burst with an endless surfeit of good things?”
- Seneca

“I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.”

I should be marking down more of these quotes. But man there are some nuggets in here…