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You Ought To Choose Both Physician And Friend, Not The Most Agreeable, But The Most Useful.
-Epictetus
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You Ought To Choose

Epictetus
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You Ought To Choose Both Physician And Friend, Not The Most Agreeable, But The Most Useful.

Understanding the Quote: "you ought to choose both physician and friend, not the most agreeable,..."

This quote by Epictetus reflects deeply on the theme of physicians. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under Physicians, Discrimination, Ought, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how Epictetus interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About Epictetus

Epictetus is celebrated for insightful thoughts on physicians and discrimination. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

Views: 96899
Topic
Physicians
Discrimination
Ought
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By Accepting Life's Limits And Inevitabilities And Working With Them Rather Than Fighting Them, We Become Free.
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If You Do Not Wish To Be Prone To Anger, Do Not Feed The Habit; Give It Nothing Which May Tend To Its Increase.
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Circumstances Don't Make The Man, They Only Reveal Him To Himself.
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Is Freedom Anything Else Than The Power Of Living As We Choose? Nothing Else. Tell Me Then, You Men, Do You Wish To Live In Error? We Do Not. No One Who Lives In Error Is Free. Do You Wish To Live In Fear? Do You Wish To Live In Sorrow? Do You Wish To Live In Tension? By No Means. No One Who Is In A State Of Fear Or Sorrow Or Tension Is Free, But Whoever Is Delivered From Sorrows Or Fears Or Anxieties, He Is At The Same Time Also Delivered From Servitude.
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Even As The Sun Doth Not Wait For Prayers And Incantations To Rise, But Shines Forth And Is Welcomed By All: So Thou Also Wait Not For Clapping Of Hands And Shouts And Praise To Do Thy Duty; Nay, Do Good Of Thine Own Accord, And Thou Wilt Be Loved Like The Sun.
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If You Seek Truth, You Will Not Seek To Gain A Victory By Every Possible Means; And When You Have Found Truth, You Need Not Fear Being Defeated.
Truth
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It Was The First And Most Striking Characteristic Of Socrates Never To Become Heated In Discourse, Never To Utter An Injurious Or Insulting Word -- On The Contrary, He Persistently Bore Insult From Others And Thus Put An End To The Fray.
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Keep Silence For The Most Part, And Speak Only When You Must, And Then Briefly.
Philosophical
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It Is Our Attitude Toward Events, Not Events Themselves, Which We Can Control. Nothing Is By Its Own Nature Calamitous -- Even Death Is Terrible Only If We Fear It.
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No Great Thing Is Created Suddenly.
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The Two Powers Which In My Opinion Constitute A Wise Man Are Those Of Bearing And Forbearing.
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Nothing Great Comes Into Being All At Once.
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When You Want To Hear A Philosopher, Do Not Say, 'you Say Nothing To Me'; Only Show Yourself Worthy Or Fit To Hear, And Then You Will See How You Will Move The Speaker.
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It Is Not He Who Reviles Or Strikes You Who Insults You, But Your Opinion That These Things Are Insulting.
Life
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Give Yourself Fully To Your Endeavors. Decide To Construct Your Character Through Excellent Actions And Determine To Pay The Price Of A Worthy Goal. The Trials You Encounter Will Introduce You To Your Strengths.
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When You Have Decided That A Thing Ought To Be Done And Are Doing It, Never Avoid Bein Seen Doing It, Though Many Shall Form An Unfavorable Opinion About It. For If It Is Not Right To Do It, Avoid Doing The Thing; But If It Is Right, Why Are You Afraid Of Those Who Shall Find Fault Wrongly?
Done
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What Is A Good Person? One Who Achieves Tranquillity By Having Formed The Habit Of Asking On Every Occasion, "what Is The Right Thing To Do Now?"
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Some Things Are Up To Us [eph' Hêmin] And Some Things Are Not Up To Us. Our Opinions Are Up To Us, And Our Impulses, Desires, Aversions–in Short, Whatever Is Our Own Doing. Our Bodies Are Not Up To Us, Nor Are Our Possessions, Our Reputations, Or Our Public Offices, Or, That Is, Whatever Is Not Our Own Doing.
Office
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Why, Do You Not Know, Then, That The Origin Of All Human Evils, And Of Baseness, And Cowardice, Is Not Death, But Rather The Fear Of Death?
Death
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To Know That You Do Not Know And To Be Willing To Admit That You Do Not Know Without Sheepishly Apologizing Is Real Strength And Sets The Stage For Learning And Progress In Any Endeavor.
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The Origin Of Sorrow Is This: To Wish For Something That Does Not Come To Pass.
Sorrow
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Dare To Look Up To God And Say, Deal With Me In The Future As Thou Wilt; I Am Of The Same Mind As Thou Art; I Am Thine; I Refuse Nothing That Pleases Thee; Lead Me Where Thou Wilt; Clothe Me In Any Dress Thou Choosest.
Art
Mind
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Who Is Not Attracted By Bright And Pleasant Children, To Prattle, To Creep, And To Play With Them?
Children
Play
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Either God Wants To Abolish Evil, And Cannot; Or He Can, But Does Not Want To.
Evil
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When We Blather About Trivial Things, We Ourselves Become Trivial, For Our Attention Gets Taken Up With Trivialities. You Become What You Give Your Attention To.
Taken
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If Thou Rememberest That God Standeth By To Behold And Visit All That Thou Doest; Whether In The Body Or In The Soul, Thou Surely Wilt Not Err In Any Prayer Or Deed; And Thou Shalt Have God To Dwell With Thee.
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Soul
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It Has Been Ordained That There Be Summer And Winter, Abundance And Dearth, Virtue And Vice, And All Such Opposites For The Harmony Of The Whole, And (zeus) Has Given Each Of Us A Body, Property, And Companions.
Summer
Winter
Opposites
To Adorn Our Characters By The Charm Of An Amiable Nature Shows At Once A Lover Of Beauty And A Lover Of Man.
Character
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We Should Do Everything Both Cautiously And Confidently At The Same Time.
Confidence
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Watch Yourself As You Go About Your Daily Business And Later Reflect On What You Saw, Trying To Identify The Sources Of Distress In Your Life And Thinking About How To Avoid That Distress.
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Sickness Is A Hindrance To The Body, But Not To Your Ability To Choose, Unless That Is Your Choice. Lameness Is A Hindrance To The Leg, But Not To Your Ability To Choose. Say This To Yourself With Regard To Everything That Happens, Then You Will See Such Obstacles As Hindrances To Something Else, But Not To Yourself.
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We Tell Lies, Yet It Is Easy To Show That Lying Is Immoral.
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We Can't Control The Impressions Others Form About Us, And The Effort To Do So Only Debases Our Character.
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If A Man Is Unhappy, Remember That His Unhappiness Is His Own Fault, For God Made All Men To Be Happy.
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If You Wish To Live A Life Free From Sorrow, Think Of What Is Going To Happen As If It Had Already Happened.
Thinking
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Progress Is Not Achieved By Luck Or Accident, But By Working On Yourself Daily.
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Fight Against Yourself, Recover Yourself To Decency, To Modesty, To Freedom. And, In The First Place, Condemn Your Actions; But When You Have Condemned Them, Do Not Despair Of Yourself. For Both Ruin And Recovery Are From Within.
Recovery
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It Is A Mark Of A Mean Capacity To Spend Much Time On The Things Which Concern The Body, Such As Much Exercise, Much Eating, Much Drinking, Much Easing Of The Body, Much Copulation. But These Things Should Be Done As Subordinate Things: And Let All Your Care Be Directed To The Mind.
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Happiness And Personal Fulfillment Are The Natural Consequences Of Doing The Right Thing.
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Exceed Due Measure, And The Most Delightful Things Become The Least Delightful.
Delightful
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The Essence Of Good And Evil Is A Certain Disposition Of The Will.
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Law Intends Indeed To Do Service To Human Life, But It Is Not Able When Men Do Not Choose To Accept Her Services; For It Is Only In Those Who Are Obedient To Her That She Displays Her Special Virtue.
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When We Act Pugnaciously, And Injuriously, And Angrily, And Rudely, To What Level Have We Degenerated? To The Level Of The Wild Beasts. Well, The Fact Is That Some Of Us Are Wild Beasts Of A Larger Size, While Others Are Little Animals, Malignant And Petty.
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Things True And Evident Must Of Necessity Be Recognized By Those Who Would Contradict Them.
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The Universe Is But One Great City, Full Of Beloved Ones, Divine And Human, By Nature Endeared To Each Other.
Compassion
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Brotherhood
If You Do Not Wish To Be Prone To Anger, Do Not Feed The Habit; Give It Nothing Which May Tend To Its Increase. At First, Keep Quiet And Count The Days When You Were Not Angry: "i Used To Be Angry Every Day, Then Every Other Day: Next, Every Two, Then Every Three Days!" And If You Succeed In Passing Thirty Days, Sacrifice To The Gods In Thanksgiving.
Sacrifice
Two
Giving
Never Say About Anything, "i Have Lost It," But Only "i Have Given It Back." Is Your Child Dead? It Has Been Given Back. Is Your Wife Dead? She Has Been Returned.
Death
Children
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I Must Die. Must I Then Die Lamenting? I Must Be Put In Chains. Must I Then Also Lament? I Must Go Into Exile. Does Any Man Then Hinder Me From Going With Smiles And Cheerfulness And Contentment?
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Choices
Seek Not The Good In External Things;seek It In Yourselves.
It Is Not A Demonstration Of Kindness Or Friendship To The People We Care About To Join Them In Indulging In Wrongheaded, Negative Feelings. We Do A Better Service To Ourselves And Others By Remaining Detached And Avoiding Melodramatic Reactions.
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When Something Happens, The Only Thing In Your Power Is Your Attitude Toward It; You Can Either Accept It Or Resent It.
Life
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I Must Die. I Must Be Imprisoned. I Must Suffer Exile. But Must I Die Groaning? Must I Whine As Well? Can Anyone Hinder Me From Going Into Exile With A Smile? The Master Threatens To Chain Me: What Say You? Chain Me? My Leg You Will Chain--yes, But Not My Will--no, Not Even Zeus Can Conquer That.
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If You Wish To Be A Writer, Write.
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Think Of God Oftener Than You Breathe.
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Thinking
Breathe
What Really Frightens And Dismays Us Is Not External Events Themselves, But The Way In Which We Think About Them. It Is Not Things That Disturb Us, But Our Interpretation Of Their Significance.
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Thinking
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First Learn The Meaning Of What You Say, And Then Speak.
Communication
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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.
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Promise
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The Soul Is Unwillingly Deprived Of Truth.
Truth
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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.
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Concerning The Gods, There Are Those Who Deny The Very Existence Of The Godhead; Others Say That It Exists, But Neither Bestirs Nor Concerns Itself Not Has Forethought Far Anything. A Third Party Attribute To It Existence And Forethought, But Only For Great And Heavenly Matters, Not For Anything That Is On Earth. A Fourth Party Admit Things On Earth As Well As In Heaven, But Only In General, And Not With Respect To Each Individual. A Fifth, Of Whom Were Ulysses And Socrates, Are Those That Cry: -- I Move Not Without Thy Knowledge!
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Men Are Disturbed Not By The Things That Happen, But By Their Opinion Of The Things That Happen.
Inspirational
Attitude
Humor
Try Not To React Merely In The Moment. Pull Back From The Situation. Take A Wider View. Compose Yourself.
Life
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It Is Impossible That Happiness, And Yearning For What Is Not Present, Should Ever Be United.
Wisdom
Impossible
Should
Let Death And Exile, And All Other Things Which Appear Terrible Be Daily Before Your Eyes, But Chiefly Death, And You Win Never Entertain Any Abject Thought, Nor Too Eagerly Covet Anything.
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Eye
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Desire And Happiness Cannot Live Together.
Desire
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Things Themselves Don't Hurt Or Hinder Us. Things Simply Are What They Are. How We View These Things Is Another Matter.people Think What They Will Think; It Is Of No Concern To Us.
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If One Oversteps The Bounds Of Moderation, The Greatest Pleasures Cease To Please.
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It Is Difficulties That Show What Men Are.
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One That Desires To Excel Should Endeavor In Those Things That Are In Themselves Most Excellent.
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From Now On Practice Saying To Everything That Appears Unpleasant: You Are Merely An Appearance And Not What You Appear To Be.
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Appearances To The Mind Are Of Four Kinds. Things Either Are What They Appear To Be; Or They Neither Are, Nor Appear To Be; Or They Are, And Do Not Appear To Be; Or They Are Not, And Yet Appear To Be. Rightly To Aim In All These Cases Is The Wise Man's Task.
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What Is Yours Is To Play The Assigned Part Well. But To Choose It Belongs To Someone Else
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The Wise Realize That Some Things Are Within Their Control, And Most Things Are Not. They Learn Early On To Distinguish Between What They Can And Can't Regulate.
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You Will Do The Greatest Service 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 Rather Than For Mean Slaves To Lurk In Great Houses.
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Whoever Is Going To Listen To The Philosophers Needs A Considerable Practice In Listening.
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It Is Better To Advise Than Upbraid, For The One Corrects The Erring; The Other Only Convicts Them.
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Upbraid
Erring
It Is Unreasonable To Think We Can Earn Rewards Without Being Willing To Pay Their True Price. It Is Always Our Choice Whether Or Not We Wish To Pay The Price For Life's Rewards.
Thinking
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The Materials Are Indifferent, But The Use We Make Of Them Is Not A Matter Of Indifference.
Use
Matter
Indifference
In Order To Please Others, We Loose Our Hold On Our Life's Purpose.
Order
Purpose
Please
Freedom Isn't The Right Or Ability To Do Whatever You Please. Freedom Comes From Understanding The Limits Of Our Own Power And The Inherent Limits Set In Place By Nature. By Accepting Life's Limits And Inevitabilities And Working With Them Rather Than Fighting Them, You Become Truly Free.
Fighting
Understanding
Limits
We Cannot Choose Our External Circumstances, But We Can Always Choose How We Respond To Them.
Spiritual
Attitude
Inspiration
What Is Learned Without Pleasure Is Forgotten Without Remorse.
Learning
Forgotten
Pleasure
He Is A Drunkard Who Takes More Than Three Glasses Though He Be Not Drunk.
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Glasses
Drunk
No Living Being Is Held By Anything So Strongly As Its Own Needs.
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In Theory There Is Nothing To Hinder Our Following What We Are Taught;but In Life There Are Many Things To Draw Us Aside.
Taught
Theory
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Do Not Give Sentence In Another Tribunal Till You Have Been Yourself Judged In The Tribunal Of Justice.
Giving
Justice
Sentences
What Disturbs People's Minds Are Not Events But Their Judgments On Events.
People
Mind
Events
To Live A Life Of Virtue, Match Up Your Thoughts, Words, And Deeds.
Deeds
Virtue
It’s Time To Stop Being Vague. If You Wish To Be An Extraordinary Person, If You Wish To Be Wise, Then You Should Explicitly Identify The Kind Of Person You Aspire To Become.
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Wise
Extraordinary Person
Against Specious Appearances We Must Set Clear Convictions, Bright And Ready For Use. When Death Appears As An Evil, We Ought Immediately To Remember That Evils Are Things To Be Avoided, But Death Is Inevitable.
Death
Evil
Use
It Is Not The Events But Our Viewpoint Toward Events That Is The Determining Factor. We Ought To Be More Concerned About Removing Wrong Thoughts From The Mind Than Removing Tumors And Abscesses From The Body.
Mind
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The Beginning Of Philosophy Is A Consciousness Of Your Own Weakness And Inability In Necessary Things.
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Weakness
Inability
I Have To Die. If It Is Now, Well Then I Die Now; If Later, Then Now I Will Take My Lunch, Since The Hour For Lunch Has Arrived - And Dying I Will Tend To Later.
Lunch
Dying
Hours
Focus Not On What He Or She Does, But On Keeping To Your Higher Purpose. Your Own Purpose Should Seek Harmony With Nature Itself. For This Is The True Road To Freedom.
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Doe
Let No Man Think That He Is Loved By Any Who Loveth None.
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Anything Worth Putting Off Is Worth Abandoning Altogether.
Procrastination
If What The Philosophers Say Be True, That All Men's Actions Proceed From One Source; That As They Assent From A Persuasion That A Thing Is So, And Dissent From A Persuasion That It Is Not, And Suspend Their Judgment From A Persuasion That It Is Uncertain, So Likewise They Seek A Thing From A Persuasion That It Is For Their Advantage.
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To Epictetus, All External Events Are Determined By Fate, And Are Thus Beyond Our Control, But We Can Accept Whatever Happens Calmly And Dispassionately. Individuals, However, Are Responsible For Their Own Actions Which They Can Examine And Control Through Rigorous Self-discipline. Suffering Arises From Trying To Control What Is Uncontrollable, Or From Neglecting What Is Within Our Power. As Part Of The Universal City That Is The Universe, Human Beings Have A Duty Of Care To All Fellow Humans. The Person Who Followed These Precepts Would Achieve Happiness.
Fate
Self
Cities
Be Free From Grief Not Through Insensibility Like The Irrational Animals, Nor Through Want Of Thought Like The Foolish, But Like A Man Of Virtue By Having Reason As The Consolation Of Grief.
Grief
Animal
Men
Two Principles We Should Always Have Ready — That There Is Nothing Good Or Evil Save In The Will; And That We Are Not To Lead Events, But To Follow Them.
Two
Evil
Principles
Try To Enjoy The Great Festival Of Life With Other Men!
Life
Men
Trying
You Are A Little Soul Carrying Around A Corpse.
Life
Philosophical
Soul
The Pleasure Which We Most Rarely Experience Gives Us Greatest Delight.
Inspirational
Happiness
You Make Me Happy
It Is Unlikely That The Good Of A Snail Should Reside In Its Shell: So Is It Likely That The Good Of A Man Should?
Men
Shells
Unlikely
You Are A Principal Work, A Fragment Of [goddess Herself], You Have In Yourself A Part Of [her]. Why Then Are You Ignorant Of Your High Birth?
Ignorant
Birth
Goddess
Getting Distracted By Trifles Is The Easiest Thing In The World… Focus On Your Main Duty
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Focus
World
If You See Anybody Wail And Complain, Call Him A Slave, Though He Be Clad In Purple.
Purple
Complaining
Slave
Don't Be Concerned Who Is Watching You. The Triumphs And Merits Of Others Belong To Them - As Do Yours To You. Make The Most Of What You've Got.
Triumph
Merit
Concerned
You Can Be Happy If You Know This Secret: Some Things Are Within Your Power To Control And Some Things Are Not.
Joy
Secret
Knows
There Are Some Things Which Men Confess With Ease, And Others With Difficulty.
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Men
Ease
Now Is The Time To Get Serious About Living Your Ideals. Once You Have Determined The Spiritual Principles You Wish To Exemplify, Abide By These Rules As If They Were Laws, As If It Were Indeed Sinful To Compromise Them. Don't Mind If Others Don't Share Your Convictions. How Long Can You Afford To Put Off Who You Really Want To Be? Your Nobler Self Cannot Wait Any Longer.
Life
Spiritual
Self
Make It Your Business To Draw Out The Best In Others By Being An Exemplar Yourself.
Motivational
Leadership
Draws
Liars Are The Cause Of All The Sins And Crimes In The World.
Liars
Lying
World
If Evil Be Spoken Of You And It Be True, Correct Yourself, If It Be A Lie, Laugh At It.
Love
True Friend
Lying
He Who Is Not Happy With Little Will Never Be Happy With Much.
Littles
Not Happy
Do Not Strive For Things Occurring To Occur As You Wish, But Wish The Things Occurring As They Occur, And You Will Flow Well.
Wish
Flow
Strive
You Bear God Within You, Poor Wretch, And Know It Not.
Religious
Bears
Poor
Freedom Is The Only Worthy Goal In Life. It Is Won By Disregarding Things That Lie Beyond Our Control. Stop Aspiring To Be Anyone Other Than Your Own Best Self: For That Does Fall Within Your Control.
Lying
Fall
Self
If Someone Irritates You, It Is Only Your Own Response That Is Irritating You. Therefore, When Anyone Seems To Be Provoking You, Remember That It Is Only Your Judgment Of The Incident That Provokes You. -
Irritated
Remember
Judgment
Not Things, But Opinions About Things, Trouble Men.
Men
Oxford
Opinion
If You Would Be A Reader, Read; If A Writer, Write.
Writing
Would Be
Reader
Practice Yourself, For Heaven's Sake, In Little Things, And Thence Proceed To Greater.
Philosophical
Practice
Discipline
The Greater The Difficulty The More Glory In Surmounting It. Skillful Pilots Gain Their Reputation From Storms And Tempests.
Positive
Encouraging
Uplifting
Whoever Wants To Be Free, Therefore, Let Him Not Want Or Avoid Anything That Is Up To Others. Otherwise He Will Necessarily Be A Slave.
Want
Slave
Be A Slave
No Man Is Disturbed By Things, But By His Opinion About Things.
Gratitude
Men
Opinion
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. For, It Is Difficult To Both Keep Your Faculty Of Choice In A State Conformable To Nature, And At The Same Time Acquire External Things. But While You Are Careful About The One, You Must Of Necessity Neglect The Other
Stupid
Choices
Wish
If We Are Not Stupid Or Insincere When We Say That The Good Or Ill Of Man Lies Within His Own Will, And That All Beside Is Nothing To Us, Why Are We Still Troubled?
Lying
Stupid
Men
Make The Best Use Of What Is In Your Power, And Take The Rest As It Happens.
Motivational
Philosophical
Responsibility
We Are Not Disturbed By What Happens To Us, But By Our Thoughts About What Happens To Us.
Inspirational
Wisdom
Disturbed
Never Say Of Anything I Have Lost It, Only Say That I Have Given It Back.
Coping
Lost
Given
Wisdom Means Understanding Without Any Doubt That Circumstances Do Not Rise To Meet Our Expectations. Events Happen As They May. People Behave As They Will.
Mean
Expectations
People
Each Man's Life Is A Kind Of Campaign, And A Long And Complicated One At That. You Have To Maintain The Character Of A Soldier, And Do Each Separate Act At The Bidding Of The General.
Character
Men
Long
We Are Not To Lead Events, But To Follow Them.
Events
Providence
When Men Are Unhappy, They Do Not Imagine They Can Ever Cease To Be So; And When Some Calamity Has Fallen On Them, They Do Not See How They Can Get Rid Of It. Nevertheless, Both Arrive; And The Gods Have Ordered It So, In The End Men Seek It From The Gods
Men
Suffering
Unhappy
Every Habit And Faculty Is Preserved And Increased By Correspondent Actions, As The Habit Of Walking, By Walking; Of Running, By Running.
Running
Action
Habit
It Is Not Events That Disturb The Minds Of Men, But The View They Take Of Them.
Men
Views
Mind
What Disturbs And Alarms Man Are Not The Things, But His Opinions And Fancies About The Things.
Men
Alarms
Fancy
Envy Is The Antagonist Of The Fortunate.
Envy
Antagonist
Fortunate
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.
Desire
Body
Aversion
Remember That You Are An Actor In A Play, And That The Playwright Chooses The Manner Of It: If He Wants You To Act A Poor Man You Must Act The Part With All Your Powers; And So If Your Part Be A Cripple Or A Magistrate Or A Plain Man. For Your Business Is To Act The Character That Is Given You And Act It Well. The Choice Of The Cast Is Another's.
Business
Character
Men
If I Can Acquire Money And Also Keep Myself Modest And Faithful And Magnanimous, Point Out The Way, And I Will Acquire It.
Money
Faithful
Way
It Doesn't Take Much To Lose Everything, Just A Little Departure From Reason
Departure
Littles
Reason
You Ought To Choose Both Physician And Friend, Not The Most Agreeable, But The Most Useful.
Physicians
Discrimination
Ought
It Is Not He Who Gives Abuse That Affronts, But The View That We Take Of It As Insulting; So That When One Provokes You It Is Your Own Opinion Which Is Provoking.
Views
Giving
Insulting
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.
Men
World
Littles
Cowardice, The Dread Of What Will Happen.
Cowardice
Dread
Happens
Who Are Those People By Whom You Wish To Be Admired? Are They Not These Whom You Are In The Habit Of Saying That They Are Mad? What Then? Do You Wish To Be Admired By The Mad?
People
Mad
Wish
O Slavish Man! Will You Not Bear With Your Own Brother, Who Has God For His Father, As Being A Son From The Same Stock, And Of The Same High Descent? But If You Chance To Be Placed In Some Superior Station, Will You Presently Set Yourself Up For A Tyrant?
Brother
Father
Son
If Your Heart Is Quite Set Upon A Crown, Make And Put On One Of Roses, For It Will Make The Prettier Appearance.
Heart
Rose
Crowns
It Is Not Death Or Pain That Is To Be Dreaded, But The Fear Of Pain Or Death.
Love
Depressing
Pain
At This Time Is Freedom Anything But The Right To Live As We Wish? Nothing Else.
Freedom
Philosophical
Wish
To Be Getting An Education Means This: To Be Learning What Is Your Own, And What Is Not Your Own.
Mean
Although We Can't Control Which Roles Are Assigned To Us, It Must Be Our Business To Act Our Given Role As Best We Possibly Can And To Refrain From Complaining About It. Where Ever You Find Yourself And In Whatever Circumstances, Give An Impeccable Performance.
Motivational
Giving
Finding Yourself
Don't Demand Or Expect That Events Happen As You Would Wish Them Do. Accept Events As They Actually Happen. That Way, Peace Is Possible.
Life
Wish
Events
People Are Not Disturbed By Things, But By The View They Take Of Them.
Inspirational
Positive
Attitude
It Is The Sign Of A Dull Mind To Dwell Upon The Cares Of The Body, To Prolong Exercise, Eating And Drinking And Other Bodily Functions. These Things Are Best Done By The Way; All Your Attention Must Be Given To The Mind.
Drinking
Food
Exercise
Whatever You Would Make Habitual, Practice It; And If You Would Not Make A Thing Habitual, Do Not Practice It, But Accustom Yourself To Something Else.
Practice
Habitual
Ifs
Any One Thing In The Creation Is Sufficient To Demonstrate A Providence To A Humble And Grateful Mind.
Grateful
Humble
Mind
We Must Be Afraid Of Neither Poverty Nor Exile Nor Imprisonment; Of Fear Itself Only Should We Be Afraid.
Fear
Poverty
Should
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
Mistake
Book
Thinking
Freedom Is Not Procured By A Full Enjoyment Of What Is Desired, But By Controlling The Desire.
Military
Philosophical
Discipline
A Half-hearted Spirit Has No Power. Tentative Efforts Lead To Tentative Outcomes. Average People Enter Into Their Endeavors Headlong And Without Care.
Motivational
Determination
Average
-….when Things Seem To Have Reached That Stage, Merely Say “i Won’t Play Any Longer”, And Take Your Departure; But If You Stay, Stop Lamenting.
Inspirational
Play
Departure
To A Reasonable Creature, That Alone Is Insupportable Which Is Unreasonable; But Everything Reasonable May Be Supported.
May
Unreasonable
Creatures
We Do Not Choose Our Own Parts In Life, And Have Nothing To Do With Those Parts. Our Duty Is Confined To Playing Them Well.
Life
Duty
Wells
The Soul's Impurity Consists In Bad Judgements, And Purification Consists In Producing In It Right Judgements, And The Pure Soul Is One Which Has Right Judgements, For This Alone Is Proof Against Confusion And Pollution In Its Functions.
Soul
Judgment
Purification
What Will The World Be Quite Overturned When You Die?
Ego
World
Narcissism
Nature Hath Given Men One Tongue But Two Ears, That We May Hear From Others Twice As Much As We Speak.
Inspirational
Nature
Health
Your Master Is He Who Controls That On Which You Have Set Your Heart Or Wish To Avoid.
Heart
Wish
Masters
There Is Only One Thing For Which God Has Sent Me Into The World, And That Is To Develop Every Kind Of Virtue Or Strength, And There Is Nothing In All The World That I Cannot Use For This Purpose.
Purpose
Use
World
When One Maintains His Proper Attitude In Life, He Does Not Long After Externals.
Attitude
Long
Doe
Do You Know That Disease And Death Must Needs Overtake Us, No Matter What We Are Doing?... What Do You Wish To Be Doing When It Overtakes You?... If You Have Anything Better To Be Doing When You Are So Overtaken, Get To Work On That.
Carpe Diem
Disease And Death
Wish
When Any Person Treats You Ill Or Speaks Ill Of You, Remember That He Does This Or Says This Because He Thinks It Is His Duty. It Is Not Possible, Then, For Him To Follow That Which Seems Right To You, But That Which Seems Right To Himself.
Thinking
Doe
Remember
Our Duties Naturally Emerge Form Such Fundamental Relations As Our Families, Neighborhoods, Workplaces, Our State Or Nation. Make It Your Regular Habit To Consider Your Roles-parent, Child, Neighbor, Citizen, Leader-and The Natural Duties That Arise From Them. Once You Know Who You Are And To Whom You Are Linked, You Will Know What To Do.
Children
Leader
Parent
When You Are Offended At Any Man's Fault, Turn To Yourself And Study Your Own Failings. Then You Will Forget Your Anger.
Forgiveness
Spiritual
Wisdom
We Should Not Moor A Ship With One Anchor, Or Our Life With One Hope.
Philosophical
Anchors
Childhood
Never Depend On The Admiration Of Others For Self-satisfaction. It Is A Fact Of Life That Other People, Even People Who Love You, Will Not Necessarily Agree With Your Ideas, Understand You Always, Or Share Your Enthusiasms.
Love You
Ideas
Self
If Anyone Should Tell You That A Particular Person Has Spoken Critically Of You, Don't Bother With Excuses Or Defenses. Just Smile And Reply, "i Guess That Person Doesn't Know About All My Other Faults. Otherwise, He Wouldn't Have Mentioned Only These."
Motivational
Faults
Defense
If You Would Be Well Spoken Of, Learn To Be Well-spoken; And Having Learnt To Be Well- Spoken, Strive Also To Be Well-doing; So Shall You Succeed In Being Well Spoken Of.
Succeed
Would Be
Strive
"but To Be Hanged - Is That Not Unendurable?" Even So, When A Man Feels That It Is Reasonable, He Goes Off And Hangs Himself.
Men
Unendurable
Feels
And Be Silent For The Most Part, Or Else Make Only The Most Necessary Remarks, And Express These In Few Words. But Rarely, And When Occasion Requires You To Talk, Talk, Indeed, But About No Ordinary Topics. Do Not Talk About Gladiators, Or Horseraces, Or Athletes, Or Things To Eat Or Drink - Topics That Arise On All Occasions; But Above All, Do Not Talk About People, Either Blaming, Or Praising, Or Comparing Them.
Communication
Athlete
People
You Have Been Given Your Own Work To Do. Get To It Right Now, Do Your Best At It, And Don't Be Concerned With Who Is Watching You. Create Your Own Merit.
Merit
Given
Concerned
Happiness And Freedom Begin With A Clear Understanding Of One Principle: Some Things Are Within Our Control, And Some Things Are Not. It Is Only After You Have Faced Up To This Fundamental Rule And Learned To Distinguish Between What You Can And Can't Control That Inner Tranquility And Outer Effectiveness Become Possible.
Effectiveness
Understanding
Principles
It Is Impossible To Begin To Learn That Which One Thinks One Already Knows.
Inspirational
Philosophical
Knowledge
In Theory It Is Easy To Convince An Ignorant Person; In Actual Life, Men Not Only Object To Offer Themselves To Be Convinced, But Hate The Man Who Has Convinced Them.
Life
Hate
Men
Learn To Distinguish What You Can And Can't Control. Within Our Control Are Our Own Opinions, Aspirations, Desires And The Things That Repel Us. They Are Directly Subject To Our Influence.
Life
Desire
Opinion
What Is Death? A Scary Mask. Take It Off-see, It Doesn't Bite.
Scary
Mask
Bites
Other People's Views And Troubles Can Be Contagious. Don't Sabotage Yourself By Unwittingly Adopting Negative, Unproductive Attitudes Through Your Associations With Others.
Attitude
Views
People
Act Well Your Given Part; The Choice Rests Not With You.
Choices
Given
Resignation
The People Have A Right To The Truth As They Have A Right To Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness.
Happiness
Truth
Honesty
The Key Is To Keep Company Only With People Who Uplift You, Whose Presence Calls Forth Your Best.
Friendship
Best Friend
Uplifting
Asked, Who Is The Rich Man? Epictetus Replied, �he Who Is Content.
Men
Rich
Rich Man
Never Look For Your Work In One Place And Your Progress In Another.
Work
Progress
Looks
It Is Not So Much What Happens To You As How You Think About What Happens." Epictetus
Thinking
Happens
It Is Not Things In Themselves Which Trouble Us, But Our Opinions Of Things.
Opinion
Trouble
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