Six mistakes mankind keeps making century after century: 1. Believing that personal gain is made by crushing others; 2. Worrying about things that cannot be changed or corrected; 3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it; 4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences; 5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind; 6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.
I laugh at those who think they can damage me. They do not know who I am, they do not know what I think, they cannot even touch the things which are really mine and with which I live.
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.
The traitor rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.
Epictetus being asked how a man should give pain to his enemy answered, By preparing himself to live the best life that he can.
We cannot control the evil tongues of others; but a good life enables us to disregard them.
Liberty is rendered even more precious by the recollection of servitude.
Fortify yourself with contentment for this is an impregnable fortress.
The public has more interest in the punishment of an injury than he who receives it.
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
Knowledge which is divorced from justice may be called cunning rather than wisdom.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.
If someone speaks badly of you, do not defend yourself against the accusations, but reply; you obviously don’t know about my other vices otherwise you would have mentioned these as well.
If we are not ashamed to think it, we should not be ashamed to say it.
The poor go to war, to fight and die for the delights, riches, and superfluities of others.
It’s better to live under a monarchy than to suffer under democracy.
You will do the greatest services to the state, if you shall raise not the roofs of the houses, but the souls of the citizens: for it is better that great souls should dwell in small houses than for mean slaves to lurk in great houses.
There is a wide difference between true courage and a mere contempt of life.
Kindness is stronger than fear.
Do not afflict others with anything that you yourself would not wish to suffer. if you would not like to be a slave, make sure no one is your slave. If you have slaves, you yourself are the greatest slave, for just as freedom is incompatible with slavery, so goodness is incompatible with hypocrisy.
Vultures are the most righteous of birds: they do not attack even the smallest living creature.
Politicians are not born; they are excreted.
Hours and days and months and years go by; the past returns no more, and what is to be we cannot know; but whatever the time gives us in which we live, we should therefore be content.
They who say that we should love our fellow-citizens but not foreigners, destroy the universal brotherhood of mankind, with which benevolence and justice would perish forever.
Be firm or mild as the occasion may require.
We are bound by the law, so that we may be free.
Remember that you ought to behave in life as you would at a banquet. As something is being passed around it comes to you; stretch out your hand, take a portion of it politely. It passes on; do not detain it. Or it has not come to you yet; do not project your desire to meet it, but wait until it comes in front of you. So act toward children, so toward a wife, so toward office, so toward wealth.
Woman is a violent and uncontrolled animal, and it is useless to let go the reins and then expect her not to kick over the traces. You must keep her on a tight rein . . . Women want total freedom or rather – to call things by their names – total licence. If you allow them to achieve complete equality with men, do you think they will be easier to live with? Not at all. Once they have achieved equality, they will be your masters . . .
I prefer to do right and get no thanks than to do wrong and receive no punishment.
I prefer the most unfair peace to the most righteous war.
To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?
For there is but one essential justice which cements society, and one law which establishes this justice. This law is right reason, which is the true rule of all commandments and prohibitions. Whoever neglects this law, whether written or unwritten, is necessarily unjust and wicked.
A man of faith is also full of courage.
Men decide far more problems by hate, love, lust, rage, sorrow, joy, hope, fear, illusion or some other inward emotion, than by reality, authority, any legal standard, judicial precedent, or statute.
What one has, one ought to use; and whatever he does, he should do with all his might.
True law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal application, unchanging and everlasting; it summons to duty by its commands, and averts from wrongdoing by its prohibitions.
Friendship is the most valuable of all human possessions.
Give me by all means the shorter and nobler life, instead of one that is longer but of less account!
Trust no one unless you have eaten much salt with him.
At feasts, remember that you are entertaining two guests, body and soul. What you give to the body, you presently lose; what you give to the soul, you keep for ever.
Never injure a friend, even in jest.
Whoever criticizes others must have something to replace them. Criticism without suggestion is like trying to stop flood with flood and put out fire with fire. It will surely be without worth.
