Epictetus Quotes

It is not things in themselves which trouble us, but our opinions of things.

We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.

No man is disturbed by things, but by his opinion about things.

If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgement of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgement now.

A thought will color a world for us.

Everything is as good or bad as our opinion makes it.

No-one can disappoint you, only your thoughts about them can

Life's all about perceptions.

Happiness depends more on how life strikes you than on what happens.

What we think, we become.

Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.

You can't really control what people think. You can't really worry about what they think, and attitude is really the one to have.

Your reaction to a situation determines whether it will be positive or negative. If you're determined to label a situation positive, no matter how it appears, the result MUST be positive. If you label something negative, that MUST be your experience. It's never too late to change a situation because you have an unlimited supply of positive sticky labels! Your life is always your call!

I think the world is like a great mirror, and reflects our lives just as we ourselves look upon it. Those who turn sad faces toward the world find only sadness reflected. But a smile is reflected in the same way, and cheers and brightens our hearts. You think there is no pleasure to be had in life. That is because you are heartsick and-and tired, as you say. With one sad story ended you are afraid to begin another-a sequel-feeling it would be equally sad. But why should it be? Isn't the joy or sorrow equally divided in life?

Things are not bad in themselves, but our cowardice makes them so.

The capacity to be either happy or unhappy is determined by the manner in which you react to whatever happens.

Some people think of the glass as half full. Some people think of the glass as half empty. I think of the glass as too big.

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.

External things are not the problem. It's your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now.

Perception can be changed

It is not the place, nor the condition, but the mind alone that can make anyone happy or miserable.

It isn't what happens to us that causes us to suffer; it's what we say to ourselves about what happens.

Life is never boring, but some people choose to be bored.

There is no actual stress or anxiety in the world, your thoughts create these false beliefs.

Happy people build their inner world; unhappy people blame their outer world.