He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. |
He who exercises wisdom exercises the knowledge which is about God. |
I am not eternity, but a man; a part of the whole, as an hour is of the day |
I have a lantern. You steal my lantern. What, then, is your honour worth no more to you than the price of my lantern? |
I have never wished to cater to the crowd; for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not know. |
If evil be spoken of you and it be true, correct yourself, if it be a lie, laugh at it. |
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. |
If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned" |
If you set your heart upon philosophy, you must straightway prepare yourself to be laughed at and mocked by many who will say Behold a philosopher arisen among us! or How came you by that brow of scorn? But do you cherish no scorn, but hold to those things which seem to you the best, as one set by God in that place. Remember too, that if you abide in those ways, those who first mocked you, the same shall afterwards reverence you; but if you yield to them, you will be laughed at twice as much as before. |
If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid. |
If you wish to be a writer, write. |
If you would be a reader, read; if a writer,write |
Imagine for yourself a character, a model personality, whose example you determine to follow, in private as well as in public. |
In every affair consider what precedes and what follows, and then undertake it |
In order to please others, we loose our hold on our life’s purpose. |