Epictetus

Epictetus
Epictetuswas a Greek-speaking Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia, and lived in Rome until his banishment, when he went to Nicopolis in north-western Greece for the rest of his life. His teachings were written down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses and Enchiridion...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
giving people purpose
Don't be concerned with other people's impressions of you. They are dazzled and deluded by appearances. Stick with your purpose. This alone will strengthen your will and give your life coherence.
philosophical anchors childhood
We should not moor a ship with one anchor, or our life with one hope.
wisdom philosophical men
The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going.
swans nightingales
Were I a nightingale, I would act the part of a nightingale; were I a swan, the part of a swan.
moving creative feelings
When you actively engage in gradually refining yourself, you retreat from your lazy ways of covering yourself or making excuses. Instead of feeling a persistent current of low-level shame, you move forward by using the creative possibilities of this moment, your current situation.
ruins recovering
Ruin and recovering are both from within.
god thinking eating
Renew every day your conversation with God: Do this even in preference to eating. Think more often of God than you breathe.
kindness
Seek not good from without; seek it within yourselves, or you will never find it.
natural fulfillment doing-the-right-thing
Happiness and personal fulfillment are the natural consequences of doing the right thing.
military philosophical discipline
Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire.
safety use aviation
On the occasion of every accident that befalls you, remember to turn to yourself and inquire what power you have for turning it to use.
spiritual men heaven
All religions must be tolerated for every man must get to heaven in his own way.
positive-thinking power-of-positive-thinking
Nothing truly stops you. Nothing truly holds you back. For your own will is always within your control.
fighting limits accepting
By accepting life's limits and inevitabilities and working with them rather than fighting them, we become free.