Épictète citations

Page 6

“Supprime donc en toi toute aversion pour ce qui ne dépend pas de nous et, cette aversion, reporte-la sur ce qui dépend de nous et n’est pas en accord avec la nature. Quant au désir, pour le moment, supprime-le complètement. Car si tu désires une chose qui ne dépend pas de nous, tu ne pourras qu’échouer, sans compter que tu te mettras dans l’impossibilité d’atteindre ce qui est à notre portée et qu’il est plus sage de désirer. Borne-toi à suivre tes impulsions, tes répulsions, mais fais-le avec légèreté, de façon non systématique et sans effort excessif.”

“Dès qu’une image viendra te troubler l’esprit, pense à te dire : « Tu n’es qu’image, et non la réalité dont tu as l’apparence. » Puis, examine-la et soumets-la à l’épreuve des lois qui règlent ta vie : avant tout, vois si cette réalité dépend de nous ou n’en dépend pas; et si elle ne dépend pas de nous, sois prêt à dire : « Cela ne me regarde pas. »”

“Ce qui trouble les hommes, ce ne sont pas les choses, ce sont les opinions qu'ils en ont.”

“Pour être vainqueur aux Jeux olympiques, il faut se donner pleinement.”

“Ni les victoires de Jeux Olympiques, ni celles que l'on remporte dans les batailles, ne rendent l'homme heureux. Les seules qui le rendent heureux sont celles qu'il remporte sur lui-même. Les tentations et les épreuves sont des combats. Tu as été vaincu une fois, deux fois, plusieurs fois; combats encore. Si tu es enfin vainqueur, tu seras heureux toute ta vie, comme celui qui as toujours vaincu.”

“Je suis une partie de tout, comme l'heure est une partie du jour.”

“Shall I show you the sinews of a philosopher? "What sinews are those?" — A will undisappointed; evils avoided; powers daily exercised, careful resolutions; unerring decisions.”

“No man is free who is not master of himself. ”

“Everything has two handles, one by which it may be borne, the other by which it may not. If your brother sin against you lay not hold of it by the handle of his injustice, for by that it may not be borne: but rather by this, that he is your brother, the comrade of your youth; and thus you will lay hold on it so that it may be borne.”

“For on these matters we should not trust the multitude who say that none ought to be educated but the free, but rather to philosophers, who say that the educated alone are free.”

“Any person capable of angering you becomes your master.”

“One that desires to excel should endeavour in those things that are in themselves most excellent.”

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

“Not every difficult and dangerous thing is suitable for training, but only that which is conducive to success in achieving the object of our effort.”

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.”

“If you seek truth you will not seek victory by dishonourable means, and if you find truth you will become invincible.”

“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”

“If you wish to be a writer, write.”

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

“Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.”

“When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger.”

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

“Difficulties are things that show a person what they are.”

“Keep silence for the most part, and speak only when you must, and then briefly.”

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

“It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

“Freedom is the right to live as we wish.”

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.”

“Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.”