Quotes from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents." Translation by Sharon Lebell”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“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.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Most of what passes for legitimate entertainment is inferior or foolish and only caters to or exploits people's weaknesses. Avoid being one of the mob who indulges in such pastimes. Your life is too short and you have important things to do. Be discriminating about what images and ideas you permit into your mind. If you yourself don't choose what thoughts and images you expose yourself to, someone else will, and their motives may not be the highest. It is the easiest thing in the world to slide imperceptibly into vulgarity. But there's no need for that to happen if you determine not to waste your time and attention on mindless pap.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer. Put your principles into practice – now. Stop the excuses and the procrastination. This is your life! You aren’t a child anymore. The sooner you set yourself to your spiritual program, the happier you will be. The longer you wait, the more you’ll be vulnerable to mediocrity and feel filled with shame and regret, because you know you are capable of better. From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself. Separate yourself from the mob. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do – now.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Don’t just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid with regard to external things. Don't wish to be thought to know anything; and even if you appear to be somebody important to others, distrust yourself.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Never depend on the admiration of others. There is no strength in it. Personal merit cannot be derived from an external source. It is not to be found in your personal associations, nor can it be found in the regard of other people. It is a fact of life that other people, even people who love you, will not necessarily agree with your ideas, understand you, or share your enthusiasms. Grow up! Who cares what other people think about you!”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“If you want to make progress, put up with being perceived as ignorant or naive in worldly matters, don't aspire to a reputation for sagacity. If you do impress others as somebody, don't altogether believe it. You have to realize, it isn't easy to keep your will in agreement with nature, as well as externals. Caring about the one inevitably means you are going to shortchange the other.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Your happiness depends on three things, all of which are within your power: your will, your ideas concerning the events in which you are involved, and the use you make of your ideas.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“An ignorant person is inclined to blame others for his own misfortune. To blame oneself is proof of progress. But the wise man never has to blame another or himself.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Remember to act always as if you were at a symposium. When the food or drink comes around, reach out and take some politely; if it passes you by don't try pulling it back. And if it has not reached you yet, don't let your desire run ahead of you, be patient until your turn comes. Adopt a similar attitude with regard to children, wife, wealth and status, and in time, you will be entitled to dine with the gods. Go further and decline these goods even when they are on offer and you will have a share in the gods' power as well as their company. That is how Diogenes, Heraclitus and philosophers like them came to be called, and considered, divine.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“The first and most important field of philosophy is the application of principles such as “Do not lie.” Next come the proofs, such as why we should not lie. The third field supports and articulates the proofs, by asking, for example, “How does this prove it? What exactly is a proof, what is logical inference, what is contradiction, what is truth, what is falsehood?” Thus, the third field is necessary because of the second, and the second because of the first. The most important, though, the one that should occupy most of our time, is the first. But we do just the opposite. We are preoccupied with the third field and give that all our attention, passing the first by altogether. The result is that we lie – but have no difficulty proving why we shouldn’t.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“You become what you give your attention to.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“A city is not adorned by external things, but by the virtue of those who dwell in it.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“For sheep don't throw up the grass to show the shepherds how much they have eaten; but, inwardly digesting their food, they outwardly produce wool and milk.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Caretake this moment. Immerse yourself in its particulars. Respond to this person, this challenge, this deed. Quit the evasions. Stop giving yourself needless trouble. It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now. You are not some disinterested bystander. Participate. Exert yourself.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“It is unrealistc to expect people to see you as you see yourself.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“When you do anything from a clear judgment that it ought to be done, never shrink from being seen to do it, even though the world should misunderstand it; for if you are not acting rightly, shun the action itself; if you are, why fear those who wrongly censure you?”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“An uninstructed person will lay the fault of his own bad condition upon others. Someone just starting instruction will lay the fault on himself. Some who is perfectly instructed will place blame neither on others nor on himself.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Do not try to seem wise to others. If you want to live a wise life, live it on your own terms and in your own eyes.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“To admonish is better than to reproach for admonition is mild and friendly, but reproach is harsh and insulting; and admonition corrects those who are doing wrong, but reproach only convicts them.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“There is a time and place for diversion and amusements, but you should never allow them to override your true purposes.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“He who exercises wisdom, exercises the knowledge which is about God.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Circumstances do not rise to meet our expectations. Events happen as they do. People behave as they are. Embrace what you actually get.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Conduct yourself in all matters, grand and public or small and domestic, in accordance with the laws of nature. Harmonizing your will with nature should be your utmost ideal.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Many people who have progressively lowered their personal standards in an attempt to win social acceptance and life’s comforts bitterly resent those of philosophical bent who refuse to compromise their spiritual ideals and who seek to better themselves.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“When then any man assents to that which is false, be assured that he did not intend to assent to it as false, for every soul is unwillingly deprived of the truth, as Plato says; but the falsity seemed to him to be true.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Now there are two kinds of hardening, one of the understanding, the other of the sense of shame, when a man is resolved not to assent to what is manifest nor to desist from contradictions. Most of us are afraid of mortification of the body, and would contrive all means to avoid such a thing, but we care not about the soul's mortification. And indeed with regard to the soul, if a man be in such a state as not to apprehend anything, or understand at all, we think that he is in a bad condition; but if the sense of shame and modesty are deadened, this we call even power (or strength).”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“The wise person knows it is fruitless to project hopes and fears on the future. This only leads to forming melodramatic representations in your mind and wasting time.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

“Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.”
― Epictetus, quote from The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

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