Discover the timeless wisdom of stoicism, an ancient philosophy that offers practical guidance for navigating life’s challenges. Stoic quotes, rooted in the teachings of figures like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, have the power to inspire and soothe us through the difficulties of life.
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in stoicism, driven in part by the widespread success of Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic, which has captivated readers worldwide with its timeless wisdom. Today, in our fast-paced and stressful world, stoicism continues to offer practical wisdom and guidance for navigating life’s challenges.
At the heart of Stoicism lies a rich trove of insight encapsulated in stoic quotes, each one possessing the power to inspire, soothe, and guide us through the difficulties of life. The origins of stoicism can be traced back to approximately 300 B.C. when Zeno of Citium, a Greek former merchant, developed the philosophy with a focus on practicality as a means of attaining happiness in one’s life.
We have collected 80 stoic quotes below, each offering profound insights that continue to resonate with modern-day readers. After reading, please let us know which quote was your favorite in the comments below.
Stoic Quotes: Epictetus
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” —Epictetus
- “Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not.”
- “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”
- “Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.”
- “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
- “It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
- “Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.”
- “The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you.”
- “First, say to yourself what you would be; then do what you have to do.”
- “The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.”
- “No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself.”
- “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
- “Difficulties show men what they are. In case of any difficulty remember that God has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil.”
- “Nature hath given men one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.”
- “It is better to die of hunger having lived without grief and fear, than to live with a troubled spirit, amid abundance.”
- “No thing 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.”
- “He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.”
- “Only the educated are free.”
- “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 actions.”
- “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
“Anything worth putting off is worth abandoning altogether” —Epictetus
- “Seek not the good in external things; seek it in yourselves.”
- “People are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them.”
- “If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, “He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.”
- “Any person capable of angering you becomes your master;
he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.” - “To accuse others for one’s own misfortune 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.”
- “There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will.”
- “It is unrealistc to expect people to see you as you see yourself.”
- “The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”
- “If you would be a reader, read; if a writer, write.”
- “God has entrusted me with myself. No man is free who is not master of himself. A man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things. The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going.”
- “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.”
Stoic Quotes: Seneca
“Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing” – Seneca
- “The greatest wealth is a poverty of desires.”
- “Fate leads the willing, and drags along the reluctant.”
- “He who is brave is free.”
- “Time discovers truth.”
- “The first step in becoming better is to know yourself, and then challenge yourself to become the person you aspire to be.”
- “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.”
- “The greatest remedy for anger is delay.”
- “The whole future lies in uncertainty; live immediately.”
- “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a person perfected without trials.”
- “The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today.”
- “You learn to know a pilot in a storm.”
- “It is not because life is short, but because we make it so, that it is long.”
- “A wise person is content with their lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what they have not.”
- “Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.”
- “To wish to be well is a part of becoming well.”
- “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”
- “If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person.”
- “Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”
- “Fire tests gold, suffering tests brave men.”
- “Enjoy present pleasures in such a way as not to injure future ones.”
- “It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully.”
- “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
- “The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortune’s control, and abandoning what lies in yours. What are you looking at? To what goal are you straining? The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.”
- “If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.”
- “True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”
- “No man is crushed by misfortune unless he has first been deceived by prosperity.”
Check out one of our best quote article, a list of Inspirational Sacrifice Quotes for Life, Love and Success.
Stoic Quotes: Marcus Aurelius
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” —Marcus Aurelius
- “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
- “The universe is change; life is your perception of it.”
- “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.”
- “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
- “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”
- “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
- “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
- “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”
- “If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.”
- “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
- “The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away.”
- “He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.”
- “Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.”
- “Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature’s delight.”
- “Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.”
- “If any man despises me, that is his problem. My only concern is not doing or saying anything deserving of contempt.”
- “How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbourg says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.”
- “Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?”
- “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
- “Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness – all of them due to the offenders’ ignorance of what is good or evil.”
- “Choose not to be harmed—and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed—and you haven’t been.”
- “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”
- “Whoever values peace of mind and the health of the soul will live the best of all possible lives.”
You could also explore our list of 10 books that will change your life for more inspiration.
Takeaway
We hope you enjoyed this curated list of Stoic quotes and found inspiration in the timeless wisdom they offer. As you reflect on these profound insights, consider how they can empower you to face life’s challenges with resilience and purpose. Feel free to share your favorite quote in the comments below or share it with your friends in social media.
Adri is a content writer, mental wellness advocate. When not writing for www.goodmorningquote.com, she is sharing inspirational content in social media, reading or exercising
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