Epictetus Quotes

I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.

I'm a good person, I hope. But I'm never as good as I want to be, never as nice as I want to be, never as generous as I want to be.

I don't want to be interesting. I want to be good.

I'm a good man, and I'm gonna become a better man.

In the matter of learning, the difference between the earnest and the careless student stands out clearly. The same holds true in the mastering of passion and the weaknesses to which our nature is subject, as in the acquiring of virtue.

One must not hope to be more than one can be.

I've never been a bad person and always had quite good morals. There's always been a side of me that's been quite proper, but it's got distracted here and there. Now I'm the person I should be.

The leader who exercises power with honor will work from the inside out, starting with himself.

In a way, a certain amount of self-criticism is a good thing, because it keeps you humble. Realizing that no matter what success you've achieved, you can still make enemies makes you humble, too.

Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great. To many people, being nice in order to be liked is more important. There's equal merit in that, but you must not confuse being good with being liked.

Look around the inhabited world; how few know their own good, or knowing it, pursue.

The formation of one's character ought to be everyone's chief aim.

All our talents increase in the using, and every faculty, both good and bad, strengthens by exercise: therefore, if you choose to use the bad, or those which tend to evil till they become your masters, and neglect the good till they dwindle away, you have only yourself to blame.

Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming.

Why cannot we correct the baneful passions, without weakening the good?

I'm not good at watching myself.

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.

I see myself out of my own eyes, which means I have no idea what's going on the other way around. I just think I try to be a good person - and I fail.

It is better to destroy one's own errors than those of others.

Self criticism must be my guide to action, and the first rule for its employment is that in itself it is not a virtue, only a procedure.

When I'm good I'm very, very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better.

… the field of action is not the field of intellect, it is the field of character; and change or development of character is always slow work.

I don't think I'm naturally a good person. I think some people have an innate goodness to them, and I am sort of proud of the fact that I kind of keep myself in check, probably because I have awesome parents.

Everybody needs to lower his ego.

Remember, you're not always the professional.