Epictetus

Epictetus

29 quotes

Epictetus is a Greek Stoic philosopher whose words have traveled far beyond their original audience. Whether reflecting on Hope or Happiness, Epictetus brought uncommon clarity to every subject. 38 of Epictetus's sharpest quotes live here, spanning themes of Hope, Happiness, Great, Freedom, and Time. Readers often gravitate to this one: "Only the educated are free."

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

— Epictetus

Best

All Quotes by Epictetus

“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.”

— Epictetus

Men

“When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger.”

— Epictetus

Anger

“We are not to give credit to the many, who say that none ought to be educated but the free but rather to the philosophers, who say that the well-educated alone are free.”

— Epictetus

Alone

“No great thing is created suddenly.”

— Epictetus

Great

“Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else.”

— Epictetus

Freedom

“To accuse others for one's own misfortunes is a sign of want of education. To accuse oneself shows that one's education has begun. To accuse neither oneself nor others shows that one's education is complete.”

— Epictetus

Education

“Not every difficult and dangerous thing is suitable for training, but only that which is conducive to success in achieving the object of our effort.”

— Epictetus

Success

“It takes more than just a good looking body. You've got to have the heart and soul to go with it.”

— Epictetus

Good

“The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.”

— Epictetus

Happiness

“Unless we place our religion and our treasure in the same thing, religion will always be sacrificed.”

— Epictetus

Religion

“If virtue promises happiness, prosperity and peace, then progress in virtue is progress in each of these for to whatever point the perfection of anything brings us, progress is always an approach toward it.”

— Epictetus

Happiness

“No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.”

— Epictetus

Time

“Freedom is the right to live as we wish.”

— Epictetus

Freedom

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

— Epictetus

Finance

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

— Epictetus

Best

“It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them.”

— Epictetus

Nature

“God has entrusted me with myself.”

— Epictetus

God

“Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig. I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.”

— Epictetus

Great

“Only the educated are free.”

— Epictetus

Motivational

“Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope.”

— Epictetus

Hope