Epictetus Quotes

Longing and desire goes further than instant satisfaction. That's human nature.

The true way to gain much, is never to desire to gain too much.

Everything in moderation, and there's a perfect balance in this life if we can find it.

Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire.

The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more.

Our nature hardly allows us to have enough of anything without having too much.

Good manners sometimes means simply putting up with other people's bad manners.

When ambitious desires arise in thy heart, recall the days of extremity thou have passed through. Forbearance is the root of all quietness and assurance forever.

Whatever you want too much you can't have, so when you really want something, try to want it a little less.

The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.

It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken.

Only once in my life was I on the edge of incivility. I do not like to be unkind.

I always tried to live my life as though nothing changed. People would say, 'You can have a Rolls-Royce'. I'd say to that, 'What do I want with a Rolls-Royce when I can have a Volkswagen or a bike?' Some people get carried away with the juice.

There is a very fine line between loving life and being greedy for it.

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.

Those in middling circumstances, have less temptation—they are inclined by habit and the company with whom they associate, to set bounds to their passions and appetites—if this is not sufficient, the want of means to gratify them will be a restraint—they are obliged to employ their time in their respective callings—hence less substantial yeomanry of the country are more temperate, or better morals and less ambition than the great.

The moderation of people in prosperity is the effect of a smooth and composed temper, owing to the calm of their good fortune.

There's no reason to be angry or impolite.

Says the rude child: "No, I won't do it." Says the courteous grown-up: "Yes, I won't do it.

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy.

We must set limits to our wishes, curb our desires, moderate our anger, always remembering that an individual can attain only an infinitesimal share in anything that is worth having; and that on the other hand, everyone must incur many of the ills of life

Let's live with that small pittance which we have; Who covets more is evermore a slave.

Avoid all haste; calmness is an essential ingredient of politeness.

The avarice person is ever in want; let your desired aim have a fixed limit.

That moderation which nature prescribes, which limits our desires by resources restricted to our needs, has abandoned the field; it has now come to this -- that to want only what is enough is a sign both of boorishness and of utter destitution.