Quotes by Epictetus

“First say to yourself what you would be;and then do what you have to do.””

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.””

“Any person capable of angering you becomes your master;he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.””

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself and in no instance bypass the discriminations of reason? You have been given the principles that you ought to endorse, and you have endorsed them. What kind of teacher, then, are you still waiting for in order to refer your self-improvement to him? You are no longer a boy, but a full-grown man. If you are careless and lazy now and keep putting things off and always deferring the day after which you will attend to yourself, you will not notice that you are making no progress, but you will live and die as someone quite ordinary. From now on, then, resolve to live as a grown-up who is making progress, and make whatever you think best a law that you never set aside. And whenever you encounter anything that is difficult or pleasurable, or highly or lowly regarded, remember that the contest is now: you are at the Olympic Games, you cannot wait any longer, and that your progress is wrecked or preserved by a single day and a single event. That is how Socrates fulfilled himself by attending to nothing except reason in everything he encountered. And you, although you are not yet a Socrates, should live as someone who at least wants to be a Socrates.””

“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.””

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.””

“He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.””

“Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.””

“Circumstances don't make the man, they only reveal him to himself.””

“People are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them.””

“Remember, it is not enough to be hit or insulted to be harmed, you must believe that you are being harmed. If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation. Which is why it is essential that we not respond impulsively to impressions; take a moment before reacting, and you will find it easier to maintain control.””