Quotes from book

Meditations

“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.”

“From the philosopher Catulus, never to be dismissive of a friend's accusation, even if it seems unreasonable, but to make every effort to restore the relationship to its normal condition.”

“If any man can convince me and bring home to me that I do not think or act aright, gladly will I change; for I search after truth, by which man never yet was harmed. But he is harmed who abideth on still in his deception and ignorance.”

“Nothing happens to anybody which he is not fitted by nature to bear.”

“Live out your life in truth and justice, tolerant of those who are neither true nor just.”

“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.”

“It loved to happen.”

“Thou art a little soul bearing about a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.”

“Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil.”

“It is within our power not to make a judgement about something, and so not disturb our minds; for nothing in itself possesses the power to form our judgements.”

“Whoever does wrong, wrongs himself; whoever does injustice, does it to himself, making himself evil.”

“Everything is banal in experience, fleeting in duration, sordid in content; in all respects the same today as generations now dead and buried have found it to be.”

“A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is higher than himself; and a mean man, by one lower than himself. The one produces aspiration; the other ambition, which is the way in which a vulgar man aspires.”

“Misfortune nobly born is good fortune.”

“For outward show is a wonderful perverter of the reason.”

“All things fade and quickly turn to myth.”

“No one loses any other life than the one he now lives, nor does one live any other life than that which he will lose.”

“Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.”

“Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to throw away. Death stands at your elbow. Be good for something while you live and it is in your power.”