Epictetus Quotes

No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut.

Subdue your appetites, my dears, and you've conquered human nature.

We say no to lots of things that would please us. I would like to punch people every now and then, but I don't. I would like to have something for free rather than pay for it. I would like to skip to the front of the line... I don't mean to brush aside the taste of meat, which is a powerful attraction. But its power is not without limit.

The hardest thing for me is restraint.

Start the practice of self-control with some penance; begin with fasting.

I have to think of moderation, which is not a word that's in my vocabulary. But I try.

I'm the worst ad anyone could possibly be for abstaining from anything.

I hate exercising self-control.

Patience means restraining one's inclinations.

I never forbid myself anything.

Temperance is a mean with regard to pleasures.

All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.

A prince must, above all things, accustom himself to moderate his desires. For as he has the power of gratifying them, if he once gives way to them, he will run to the greatest excess, and, by destroying his subjects, will at last complete his own ruin. In order to form himself to this moderation, nothing is more proper, than to accustom himself to patience. This is the most necessary of all virtues for those, who are to command. A man must be patient to become master of himself and others.

Just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you need to - restraint is something I admire.

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

I am not allowing myself to get carried away.

Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.

Those who restrain their desires, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.

Moderation has been called a virtue to limit the ambition of great men, and to console undistinguished people for their want of fortune and their lack of merit.

What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don't want to discourage it completely.

People have got to learn: if they don't have cookies in the cookie jar, they can't eat cookies.

I need to rein myself in sometimes.

Only actions give life strength; only moderation gives it charm.

Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces.

Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.