Theme
Purpose
200 passages
- Epictetus Consider when, on a voyage, your ship is anchored; if you go on shore to get water you may along the way amuse…
- Epictetus Decide first what sort of person you intend to be; then do what follows from that decision. Athletes choose their…
- Epictetus Do not cling so tightly to old companions that they pull you downward. Choose: remain as you were and be liked, or…
- Epictetus I do not call someone diligent merely because they stay up reading or writing. I must first know the aim of their…
- Epictetus If you seek something good, draw it from yourself.
- Epictetus It is a mark of want of genius to spend much time in things relating to the body, as to be long in our exercises, in…
- Epictetus Let death and exile, and all other things which appear terrible be daily before your eyes, but chiefly death, and you…
- Epictetus Life resembles a campaign: one person keeps watch, another scouts, another stands in the front line. Each life is a…
- Epictetus Philosophy promises no outward possession; its material is our own life, as wood is the carpenter’s and bronze the…
- Epictetus Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a kind as the author pleases to make it. If short, of a short one;…
- Epictetus Remember that you are an actor in a drama, assigned a role by another. Your task is to play it well, whether it is…
- Epictetus Socrates said: as one person enjoys tending a field and another training a horse, I enjoy improving myself each day.
- Epictetus The free person has what they will under every condition; whoever can be forced, restrained, or driven against their…
- Epictetus These paths cannot be combined. Be one person: devote yourself either to sound judgment or to externals; guard the…
- Marcus Aurelius A lamp keeps giving light until its oil is gone. Why should your truthfulness, justice, and self-command not shine…
- Marcus Aurelius After thou shalt rightly have considered these things with thyself; fancy not anything else in the world any more to…
- Marcus Aurelius Again, consider now the times of Trajan. There likewise thou seest the very self-same things, and that age also is now…
- Marcus Aurelius All things that thou seest, will soon be perished, and they that see their corruptions, will soon vanish away…
- Marcus Aurelius And this I say of them, who once shined as the wonders of their ages, for as for the rest, no sooner are they expired,…
- Marcus Aurelius As a part hitherto thou hast had a particular subsistence: and now shalt thou vanish away into the common substance of…
- Marcus Aurelius As long as the foot doth that which belongeth unto it to do, and the hand that which belongs unto it, their labour,…
- Marcus Aurelius As thou thyself, whoever thou art, were made for the perfection and consummation, being a member of it, of a common…
- Marcus Aurelius Attend to what lies before you: the principle involved, the work required, or the impression being presented.
- Marcus Aurelius Be not deceived; for thou shalt never live to read thy moral commentaries, nor the acts of the famous Romans and…
- Marcus Aurelius Begin yet higher, even from this: if atoms be not the beginning of all things, than which to believe nothing can be…
- Marcus Aurelius Behold and observe, what is the state of their rational part; and those that the world doth account wise, see what…
- Marcus Aurelius But whatsoever it is that thou art about, remember to call upon the Gods. And as for the time how long thou shalt live…
- Marcus Aurelius Contract thy whole life to the measure and proportion of one single action. And if in every particular action thou…
- Marcus Aurelius Dig within yourself: there is a spring of goodness there, ready to flow whenever you continue digging.
- Marcus Aurelius Do not evade the work your role requires, whether cold or tired, praised or insulted, dying or distracted. Even death…
- Marcus Aurelius Do not live as if you had endless years ahead. Death stands near; while you are able, become good.
- Marcus Aurelius Do what nature asks of you now, if it lies in your power. Do not wait to be noticed or for an ideal commonwealth;…
- Marcus Aurelius Dost thou grieve that thou dost weigh but so many pounds, and not three hundred rather? Just as much reason hast thou…
- Marcus Aurelius Doth either the sun take upon him to do that which belongs to the rain? or his son Aesculapius that, which unto the…
- Marcus Aurelius Even as if any of the gods should tell thee, Thou shalt certainly die to-morrow, or next day, thou wouldst not, except…
- Marcus Aurelius Ever consider and think upon the world as being but one living substance, and having but one soul, and how all things…
- Marcus Aurelius For a day only endure both the one who remembers and the one remembered.
- Marcus Aurelius For peace, do not merely do fewer things; do what a rational, social being must do, and do it well. Restrain needless…
- Marcus Aurelius For without relation unto God, thou shalt never speed in any worldly actions; nor on the other side in any divine,…
- Marcus Aurelius Give each action attention in proportion to its value. Then you will not grow weary by spending more effort than…
- Marcus Aurelius He that hath not one and the self-same general end always as long as he liveth, cannot possibly be one and the…
- Marcus Aurelius He that knoweth not what the world is, knoweth not where he himself is. And he that knoweth not what the world was…
- Marcus Aurelius How clearly doth it appear unto thee, that no other course of thy life could fit a true philosopher's practice better,…
- Marcus Aurelius How many of them who came into the world at the same time when I did, are already gone out of it?
- Marcus Aurelius Human joy lies in proper human activity: kindness toward others, resistance to mere appetite, trustworthy judgment,…
- Marcus Aurelius If it were that thou hadst at one time both a stepmother, and a natural mother living, thou wouldst honour and respect…
- Marcus Aurelius If so be that the souls remain after death (say they that will not believe it); how is the air from all eternity able…
- Marcus Aurelius If the first, why should I desire to continue any longer in this fortuit confusion and commixtion? or why should I…
- Marcus Aurelius Injustice often appears not only in what you do, but in what you fail to do.
- Marcus Aurelius It is all one to see these things for a hundred of years together or but for three years.
- Marcus Aurelius It is common to all trades and professions to mind and intend that only, which now they are about, and the instrument…
- Marcus Aurelius Labour not as one to whom it is appointed to be wretched, nor as one that either would be pitied, or admired; but let…
- Marcus Aurelius Let death surprise me when it will, and where it will, I may be εὔμοιρος, or a happy man, nevertheless. For he is a…
- Marcus Aurelius Let every deed, word, and intention be worthy of someone near life’s end.
- Marcus Aurelius Let it be thy earnest and incessant care as a Roman and a man to perform whatsoever it is that thou art about, with…
- Marcus Aurelius Let the several deaths of men of all sorts, and of all sorts of professions, and of all sort of nations, be a…
- Marcus Aurelius Let these things suffice thee; let them be always unto thee, as thy general rules and precepts. As for thy thirst…
- Marcus Aurelius Let this be thy only joy, and thy only comfort, from one sociable kind action without intermission to pass unto…
- Marcus Aurelius Let this then be thy first ground, that thou art part of that universe, which is governed by nature. Then secondly,…
- Marcus Aurelius Love the modest craft you have learned and find rest in it. Entrust the rest to the gods, making yourself neither…
- Marcus Aurelius Man, God, the world, every one in their kind, bear some fruits. All things have their proper time to bear. Though by…
- Marcus Aurelius Meditate often upon the connection of all things in the world; and upon the mutual relation that they have one unto…
- Marcus Aurelius My city and country as I am Antoninus, is Rome; as a man, the whole world. Those things therefore that are expedient…
- Marcus Aurelius Nature hath of that also, as well as of eating and drinking, allowed thee a certain stint. But thou guest beyond thy…
- Marcus Aurelius Not as though thou hadst thousands of years to live. Death hangs over thee: whilst yet thou livest, whilst thou…
- Marcus Aurelius Not in syllogisms, and logical subtilties, not in wealth, not in honour and reputation, not in pleasure. In none of…
- Marcus Aurelius O man! as a citizen thou hast lived, and conversed in this great city the world. Whether just for so many years, or…
- Marcus Aurelius O man! what ado doest thou keep? Do what thy nature doth now require. Resolve upon it, if thou mayest: and take no…
- Marcus Aurelius Of Alexander the Platonic, not often nor without great necessity to say, or to write to any man in a letter, 'I am not…
- Marcus Aurelius Of all my thoughts and cares, one only thing shall be the object, that I myself do nothing which to the proper…
- Marcus Aurelius Of others, even that which was fabulous, is now long since forgotten. This thereafter thou must remember, that…
- Marcus Aurelius People neglect the praise of those whose lives they share, yet hunger for applause from generations they will never…
- Marcus Aurelius Reflect often on how all things are connected and depend on one another. They are woven together, each following…
- Marcus Aurelius Remember how long thou hast already put off these things, and how often a certain day and hour as it were, having been…
- Marcus Aurelius Remembering moreover, that this care and circumspection of thine, is to continue but for a while, and then thy life…
- Marcus Aurelius Shall I do it? I will; so the end of my action be to do good unto men. Doth anything by way of cross or adversity…
- Marcus Aurelius So may every reasonable creature, what crosses and impediments soever it meets with in the course of this mortal life,…
- Marcus Aurelius Someone ignorant of the universe does not know where they stand. Someone ignorant of life's purpose knows neither…
- Marcus Aurelius Stop complaining about public burdens—even in private, even to yourself.
- Marcus Aurelius Stop drifting. You may never read your notes or cherished books later. Pursue life’s purpose, abandon empty hopes, and…
- Marcus Aurelius That rational essence by which the universe is governed, is for community and society; and therefore hath it both made…
- Marcus Aurelius That then which is longest of duration, and that which is shortest, come both to one effect. For although in regard of…
- Marcus Aurelius That which is not good for the bee-hive, cannot be good for the bee.
- Marcus Aurelius That which most men would think themselves most happy for, and would prefer before all things, if the Gods would grant…
- Marcus Aurelius The Chaldeans and Astrologians having foretold the deaths of divers, were afterwards themselves surprised by the…
- Marcus Aurelius The completed character spends each day as a last one: without frenzy, idleness, or pretense.
- Marcus Aurelius The form of the Athenians' prayer did run thus: 'O rain, rain, good Jupiter, upon all the grounds and fields that…
- Marcus Aurelius The gods will do thee no hurt, thou mayest be sure. But if it be so that there be no gods, or that they take no care…
- Marcus Aurelius The joy that thou takest in the exercise of bounty, is not yet grounded upon a due ratiocination and right…
- Marcus Aurelius The life of such an one, death can never surprise as imperfect; as of an actor, that should die before he had ended,…
- Marcus Aurelius The Second to the first original cause, God, from whom originally proceeds whatsoever doth happen in the world. The…
- Marcus Aurelius The unjust person defies the order of nature, for rational creatures were made for one another’s benefit, not their…
- Marcus Aurelius The whole space of any man's life, is but little; and as little as it is, with what troubles, with what manner of…
- Marcus Aurelius These two rules, thou must have always in a readiness. First, do nothing at all, but what reason proceeding from that…
- Marcus Aurelius They will say commonly, Meddle not with many things, if thou wilt live cheerfully. Certainly there is nothing better,…
- Marcus Aurelius This thou must ever be mindful of, as of this also, that a man's true happiness doth consist in very few things. And…
- Marcus Aurelius This time that is now present, bestow thou upon thyself. They that rather hunt for fame after death, do not consider,…
- Marcus Aurelius Those who chase applause make their welfare depend on others; lovers of pleasure make it depend on sensation. The…
- Marcus Aurelius Thou must comfort thyself in the expectation of thy natural dissolution, and in the meantime not grieve at the delay;…
- Marcus Aurelius Thou must hasten therefore; not only because thou art every day nearer unto death than other, but also because that…
- Marcus Aurelius To live with the Gods. He liveth with the Gods, who at all times affords unto them the spectacle of a soul, both…
- Marcus Aurelius We all work to one effect, some willingly, and with a rational apprehension of what we do: others without any such…
- Marcus Aurelius What a subject, and what a course of life is it, that thou doest so much desire to be rid of. For all these things,…
- Marcus Aurelius What art and profession soever thou hast learned, endeavour to affect it, and comfort thyself in it; and pass the…
- Marcus Aurelius What does my soul serve? Ask this often. Whose soul do I possess now: a child’s, a tyrant’s, a tame animal’s, or a…
- Marcus Aurelius What harms the hive cannot benefit the bee.
- Marcus Aurelius What manner of men they be whom they seek to please, and what to get, and by what actions: how soon time will cover…
- Marcus Aurelius What object soever, our reasonable and sociable faculty doth meet with, that affords nothing either for the…
- Marcus Aurelius What? To enjoy the operations of a sensitive soul; or of the appetitive faculty? or wouldst thou grow, and then…
- Marcus Aurelius What work are you here to do? To become a decent human being.
- Marcus Aurelius Whatsoever is, was made for something: as a horse, a vine. Why wonderest thou? The sun itself will say of itself, I…
- Marcus Aurelius When getting up is difficult, remember that nature made you to work with others. Even animals share sleep; our proper…
- Marcus Aurelius When rising feels hard, remember: I am getting up for a human being’s work. Was I made merely to lie warm, or to act…
- Marcus Aurelius When thou art hard to be stirred up and awaked out of thy sleep, admonish thyself and call to mind, that, to perform…
- Marcus Aurelius When thou hast done well, and another is benefited by thy action, must thou like a very fool look for a third thing…
- Marcus Aurelius Wherever one is able to live, one can live well; even in the business of the courts, a good life is possible.
- Marcus Aurelius Who can choose but wonder at them? They will not speak well of them that are at the same time with them, and live with…
- Marcus Aurelius Why should any of these things that happen externally, so much distract thee? Give thyself leisure to learn some good…
- Marcus Aurelius Within a while the earth shall cover us all, and then she herself shall have her change. And then the course will be,…
- Marcus Aurelius You can possess now what you pray to gain by a long route, if only you stop withholding it from yourself.
- Marcus Aurelius You do not resent having a given weight rather than twice it; why resent receiving a given span of life rather than…
- Marcus Aurelius You receive what you choose: instead of being good today, you decide to put goodness off until tomorrow.
- Musonius Rufus A worthy ruler is necessarily philosophical, and the true philosopher has a kingly character from the beginning.
- Musonius Rufus How could banishment prevent a person from cultivating themselves or attaining virtue, when exile has never barred…
- Musonius Rufus It is better to earn a reputation for benefiting many than for lavish living; spending on people is worthier than…
- Seneca A king may be killed by a slave, or a serpent, or an arrow: but no one can be saved except by some one who is greater…
- Seneca A life without an aim wanders. Once an aim is set, principles are required; otherwise conduct becomes hesitant,…
- Seneca A very small amount of it, therefore, is abundantly sufficient, and so, when his last day arrives, the wise man will…
- Seneca Add to this that, according to the doctrine of Chrysippus, a man may live at leisure: I do not say that he ought to…
- Seneca An old person often has no proof of a long life except the count of years.
- Seneca Are you not embarrassed to give wisdom only the scraps of life that business has not consumed?
- Seneca Believe me: true joy is a weighty matter. Can anyone face death, poverty, restrained pleasure, and pain with ease…
- Seneca Chance assigns us our parents, people say; yet we may choose the ancestors whose children we wish to be.
- Seneca Circumstances mislead us, so judge them carefully. We often choose evil before good and desire what contradicts our…
- Seneca Death weighs heavily on the person known by everyone else but unknown to himself.
- Seneca Do I speak of our lives, which we know roll away incredibly fast? Reckon up the centuries of cities: you will find…
- Seneca Do not envy the person always displaying rank or fame; such prizes are purchased with life, and many reach the summit…
- Seneca Even Caesar, who may do all things, may not do many things for this very reason: his watchfulness protects all men’s…
- Seneca Have we got rid of the trouble of accusation? then we begin that of judging. Has a man ceased to be a judge? then he…
- Seneca He whose object is to be of service to his countrymen and to all mortals, exercises himself and does good at the same…
- Seneca Hold in your bosom Novatilla, who soon will present you with great-grandchildren, she whom I had so entirely adopted…
- Seneca How many funerals pass our houses? yet we do not think of death. How many untimely deaths? we think only of our son’s…
- Seneca How many people have consumed your life while you failed to notice the loss? How much went to empty sorrow, foolish…
- Seneca How shameful when an aged advocate dies in court, still pleading for strangers and chasing the praise of an uninformed…
- Seneca I do not see how these very different matters can have any connexion with one another. What is there, I pray you, to…
- Seneca I will effect this cure, if possible, with your goodwill: if you disapprove of my efforts, or dislike them, then you…
- Seneca In this very same instance I will give you an example of a good prince, which you may compare with a good father.
- Seneca It is a speech which ought to be spoken 416before a meeting of all mankind, whose words all kings and princes ought to…
- Seneca It is the privilege of a tranquil and peaceful mind to review all the parts of its life: but the minds of busy men are…
- Seneca It shames an older person to carry only borrowed learning in notebooks. What do you say? Take charge and leave…
- Seneca Keep a benefit as one keeps treasure buried for a time, drawing on it when needed. Nature calls us to help all people;…
- Seneca Leisure without learning is death: a living person's grave.
- Seneca Let every effort aim at something and keep that purpose in sight. People are not troubled by activity itself, but by…
- Seneca Let no one take even one day from me unless the exchange is worth the cost.
- Seneca Let us accomplish something courageous ourselves and take our place among those worthy of imitation.
- Seneca Let us seek for some blessing, which does not merely look fine, but is sound and good throughout alike, and most…
- Seneca Let us therefore briskly and cheerfully hasten with undaunted steps whithersoever circumstances call us: let us wander…
- Seneca Let us therefore inquire, not what is most commonly done, but what is best for us to do, and what will establish us in…
- Seneca Life is not too brief; we waste much of it. It is ample for great work when used well, but luxury and neglect make it…
- Seneca Look at your father and your grandfather: the former fell into the hands of a foreign murderer: I allowed no man to…
- Seneca Meaningful work feeds a noble mind.
- Seneca Men demand much, and expect much from you: you ought not to have drawn all eyes upon yourself, if you wished to be…
- Seneca Men deserve praise for engaging in profitable studies, even though they stop short of producing any results. Why need…
- Seneca Men set the greatest store upon presents or pensions, and hire out their work, their services, or their care in order…
- Seneca Men therefore love their own safety, when they draw up vast legions in battle on behalf of one man, when they rush to…
- Seneca Nevertheless Bibulus, who during the whole of his year of office had remained hidden in his house, to cast reproach…
- Seneca Nothing honorable is done unwillingly or by force; every noble act is freely chosen.
- Seneca Philosophy is no performance for display. It deals in deeds, orders the soul and life, directs action, and guides us…
- Seneca Prepare your mind as though life were complete. Delay nothing; settle each day’s account. Whoever finishes each day…
- Seneca Revenge takes up much time, and throws itself in the way of many injuries while it is smarting under one. We all…
- Seneca Set aside distractions and give yourself fully to this purpose before time's swift course leaves you behind. Welcome…
- Seneca Show that a life is measured not by its years but by its use; it is common for someone to live long and yet live very…
- Seneca Some have been led hither by friendship, some by industry, which finds here a wide field for the display of its…
- Seneca Teach me to resemble Odysseus: to love home, spouse, and father, and after shipwreck still steer toward honorable ends.
- Seneca The greatest teachers divide philosophy into moral, natural, and rational study. Moral study orders the soul; natural…
- Seneca The mind can find no safe repose there, it must needs be shaken and tempest-tossed if it be safe only because of its…
- Seneca The only persons who are really at leisure are those who devote themselves to philosophy: and they alone really live:…
- Seneca The position of all busy men is unhappy, but most unhappy of all is that of those who do not even labour at their own…
- Seneca The whole house mourned for the leisure of its old master, and did not lay aside its mourning until his work was…
- Seneca There is, therefore, no reason for a service which is useless if it is not felt by him who is the object of it, and…
- Seneca This may be that of the Athenians or Carthaginians, or of any other city which does not belong to all men but to some…
- Seneca To sum up the matter, I ask you whether Cleanthes, Chrysippus, and Zeno lived in accordance with their doctrine? I am…
- Seneca Unable to serve in one public role, serve in another. If speech is denied, offer a quiet example. If civic duties are…
- Seneca Virtues do the same thing in the opposite direction, and improve all those with whom they are brought in contact: it…
- Seneca We guard our property fiercely yet surrender our lives to others. Be most sparing with time, the one possession that…
- Seneca Whatever remains to be done, virtue meets with courage and speed. It is foolish to undertake work grudgingly, sending…
- Seneca Which will he go to meet first? which part of the universal conspiracy will he first oppose? His victory will drag him…
- Seneca Why be indignant? Why protest? This is the task for which we are made.
- Seneca Will you follow your predecessors? Certainly—but if I discover a path shorter and smoother, I will make use of it.…
- Seneca You are mistaken, therefore, when you ask me what it is on account of which I seek after virtue: for you are seeking…
- Seneca You ask, what this post is? it is that of being a man. The wise man has another help, of the opposite kind to this;…
- Seneca You cannot find any one who wants to distribute his money; yet among how many people does every one distribute his…
- Seneca You dispose of that which is in the hand of Fortune, and you let go that which is in your own. Whither are you…
- Seneca You fear dying—but what is this life of yours if it is not already a kind of death?
- Seneca You have grieved at the only grief so good a son could cause you: all else is beyond the power of fortune to harm, and…
- Seneca You have no grounds, therefore, for supposing that any one has lived long, because he has wrinkles or grey hairs: such…
- Seneca You must decide whether your disposition is better suited for vigorous action or for tranquil speculation and…
- Seneca You must now show a virtue equal to hers, recall your mind from grief, and take care that no one may think that you…
- Seneca You will say to me, “Seneca, what are you doing? do you desert your party? I am sure that our Stoic philosophers say…
- Zeno Well-being is achieved through small advances, though it is itself no small achievement.