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Stoic quotes
Stoicism began in Athens around 300 BC, in a painted porch where Zeno taught. The three Stoics most people read now were a rich Roman adviser, a man born enslaved, and an emperor writing notes to himself on campaign.
They kept returning to one sorting exercise: what is up to you, and what isn't. Anger, fear and reputation all get examined that way. Read them for the practice, since they wrote for use on an ordinary bad day.
From the books
Checked word for word against public-domain editions.
What matters it how far Alexander extended his conquests, if he was not yet satisfied with what he had?
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… are achieved with labor, and the very guard of them is painful. Ambition puffs us up with vanity and wind: and we are equally troubled either to see any body before us, or nobody behind us; so that we lie under a double envy; for whosoever envies another is also envied himself. What matters it how far Alexander extended his conquests, if he was not yet satisfied with what he had? Every man wants as much as he covets; and it is lost labor to pour into a vessel that will never be full. He that had subdued so many princes and nations, upon the killing of Clytus (one friend) and the loss of Hyphestion (another) delivered himself up to anger and sadness; …
If a man is mistaken, instruct him kindly and show him his error.
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If a man is mistaken, instruct him kindly and show him his error. But if thou art not able, blame thyself, or blame not even thyself.
If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it.
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If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now. But if anything in thy own disposition gives thee pain, who hinders thee from correcting thy opinion? And even if thou art pained because thou art not doing some particular thing which seems to thee to be right, why dost …
Give thyself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around.
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Do the things external which fall upon thee distract thee? Give thyself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around. But then thou must also avoid being carried about the other way; for those too are triflers who have wearied themselves in life by their activity, and yet have no object to which to direct every movement, and, in a word, all their thoughts.
We shall never want a subject for complaint if we look at benefits on their wrong side.
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… and strikes down the crops of the best of men; every man has to take his chance, in friendship as well as in everything else." There is no benefit so great that spitefulness can pick no holes in it, none so paltry that it cannot be made more of by friendly interpretation. We shall never want a subject for complaint if we look at benefits on their wrong side.
Give me a man who cares how he shall do anything, not for the obtaining of a thing, but who cares about his own energy.
Our inward thoughts gradually become influenced by our outward demeanour.
Anger often comes to us, but we often go to it.
The plow goes on after a barren year: and while the ashes are yet warm, we raise a new house upon the ruins of a former.
Stand by a stone and revile it, and what will you gain?
Men deserve praise for engaging in profitable studies, even though they stop short of producing any results.
We must keep on our course, if we would gain our journey’s end.
If you would improve, submit to be considered without sense and foolish with respect to externals.
Accustom thyself to attend carefully to what is said by another, and as much as it is possible, be in the speaker's mind.
What we do is short, what we shall do is doubtful, but what we have done is certain, and out of the power of fortune.
Never say about anything, I have lost it, but say I have restored it.
In every work you will take in hand mark well what must go before and what must follow, and so proceed.
Is any one surprised at being cold in winter? at being sick at sea? or at being jostled in the street?
Have I less than I hoped for? well, perhaps I hoped for more than I ought.
What is it that we make all this bustle for, and so needlessly disquiet our minds?
Reason deliberates before it judges; but anger passes sentence without deliberation.
The spirit ought to be brought up for examination daily.
Whither are you looking, whither are you stretching forward? everything future is uncertain: live now straightway.
Always believe that something will occur to offend you.
Of things some are in our power, and others are not.
Magnanimity befits all mortal men, even the humblest of all; for what can be greater or braver than to resist ill fortune?
People obey willingly where they are commanded kindly.
We must not consider how great presents are, but in what spirit they are given.
Would not every man wish to lay aside anger when he sees that it begins by injuring himself?
All things greatly outgrow their beginnings.
The hardness of flint is known to none so well as to those who strike it.
To recover thy life is in thy power.
The comfort of life depends upon conversation.
Whatsoever is necessary, we must bear patiently.
Let not another's vice be thy evil.
A cucumber is bitter—Throw it away.—There are briers in the road—Turn aside from them.—This is enough.
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