Quotes, Quotations and Sayings

All philosophy lies in two words Sustain and Abstain.

All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.

You are a little soul carrying around a corpse.

Covetousness like jealousy, when it has taken root, never leaves a person, but with their life. Cowardice is the dread of what will happen.

Liars are the cause of all the sins and crimes in the world.

We must not believe the many, who say that only free people ought to be educated, but we should rather believe the philosophers who say that only the educated are free.

What is the first business of one who practices philosophy To get rid of self-conceit. For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows.

The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.

If you set your heart upon philosophy, you must straightway prepare yourself to be laughed at and mocked by many who will say Behold a philosopher arisen among us! or How came you by that brow of scorn? But do you cherish no scorn, but hold to those things which seem to you the best, as one set by God in that place. Remember too, that if you abide in those ways, those who first mocked you, the same shall afterwards reverence you; but if you yield to them, you will be laughed at twice as much as before.

Freedom is the right to live as we wish.

Difficulties are things that show what men are.

The soul's impurity consists in bad judgments, and purification consists in producing in it right judgments, and the pure soul is one which has right judgments.

Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant.

He who exercises wisdom exercises the knowledge which is about God.

Whoever does not regard what he has as most ample wealth, is unhappy, though he be master of the world.

Men are not disturbed by things, but the view they take of things.

So you wish to conquer in the Olympic games, my friend? And I too, by the Gods, and a fine thing it would be! But first mark the conditions and the consequences, and then set to work. You will have to put yourself under discipline; to eat by rule, to avoid cakes and sweetmeats; to take exercise at the appointed hour whether you like it or no, in cold and heat; to abstain from cold drinks and from wine at your will; in a word, to give yourself over to the trainer as to a physician. Then in the conflict itself you are likely enough to dislocate your wrist or twist your ankle, to swallow a great deal of dust, or to be severely thrashed, and, after all these things, to be defeated.

Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.

A ship should not ride on a single anchor, nor life on a single hope.

A man that seeks truth and loves it must be reckoned precious to any human society.

A wise man is he who does not grieve for the thing which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

Any one thing in the creation is sufficient to demonstrate a Providence to an humble and grateful mind.

It is the sign of a dull mind to dwell upon the cares of the body, to prolong exercise, eating and drinking and other bodily functions. These things are best done by the way; all your attention must be given to the mind.

Bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast.

There are some things which men confess with ease, and others with difficulty.

If evil be spoken of you and it be true, correct yourself, if it be a lie, laugh at it.

It is your own convictions which compels you; that is, choice compels choice.

What will the world be quite overturned when you die?

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.

He is a drunkard who takes more than three glasses though he be not drunk.

Whenever you are angry, be assured that it is not only a present evil, but that you have increased a habit.

It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.

It is a sign of a dull nature to occupy oneself deeply in matters that concern the body; for instance, to be over much occupied about exercise, about eating and drinking, about easing oneself, about sexual intercourse.

Difficulties are things that show a person what they are.

Difficulties show men what they are. In case of any difficulty, God has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil.

Who is not attracted by bright and pleasant children, to prattle, to creep, and to play with them?

For it is not death or hardship that is a fearful thing, but the fear of death and hardship.

Let death be daily before your eyes, and you will never entertain any abject thought, nor too eagerly covet anything.

A strict belief, fate is the worst kind of slavery; on the other hand there is comfort in the thought that God will be moved by our prayers.

Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a part as it may please the master to assign you, for a long time or for a little as he may choose. And if he will you to take the part of a poor man, or a cripple, or a ruler, or a private citizen, then may you act that part with grace! For to act well the part that is allotted to us, that indeed is ours to do, but to choose it is another s.

Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.

Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else.

No man is free who is not a master of himself.

God hath entrusted me with myself.

No great thing is created suddenly.

There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.

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

It is not he who gives abuse that affronts, but the view that we take of it as insulting; so that when one provokes you it is your own opinion which is provoking.

It is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows.

Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.