Therefore death is nothing to us, it matters not one jot, since the nature of the mind is understood to be mortal.

A little river seems to him, who has never seen a larger river, a mighty stream; and so with other things-a tree, a man-anything appears greatest to him that never knew a greater.

So rolling time changes the seasons of things. What was of value, becomes in turn of no worth.

Violence and injury enclose in their net all that do such things, and generally return upon him who began.

Men are eager to tread underfoot what they have once too much feared.

But if one should guide his life by true principles, man's greatest riches is to live on a little with contented mind; for a little is never lacking.

For every one feels to what purpose he can use his own powers. Before the horns of a calf appear and sprout from his forehead, he butts with them when angry, and pushes passionately.

Custom renders love attractive; for that which is struck by oft-repeated blows however lightly, yet after long course of time is overpowered and gives way. See you not too that drops of water falling on rocks after long course of time scoop a hole through these rocks?

To avoid falling into the toils of love is not so hard as, after you are caught, to get out of the nets you are in and to break through the strong meshes of Venus.

Why dost thou not retire like a guest sated with the banquet of life, and with calm mind embrace, thou fool, a rest that knows no care?

To none is life given in freehold; to all on lease.

Yes, to seek power that's vain and never grantedand for it to suffer hardship and endless pain:this is to heave and strain to push uphilla boulder, that still from the very top rolls backand bounds and bounces down to the bare, broad field.

By protracting life, we do not deduct one jot from the duration of death.

What is food to one, is to others bitter poison.

The living force of his soul gained the day: on he passed far beyond the flaming walls of the world and traversed throughout in mind and spirit the immeasurable universe.

Superstition is now in her turn cast down and trampled underfoot, whilst we by the victory are exalted high as heaven.

Again and again our foe, religion, has given birth to deeds sinful and unholy.

So potent was Religion in persuading to do wrong.

Nothing is ever gotten out of nothing by divine power.

Nothing can be produced from nothing.

A thing therefore never returns to nothing.

The first-beginnings of things cannot be seen by the eyes.

The steady drip of water causes stone to hollow and yield.

And yet it is hard to believe that anything in nature could stand revealed as solid matter.The lightning of heaven goes through the walls of houses,like shouts and speech; iron glows white in fire; red-hot rocks are shattered by savage steam; hard gold is softened and melted down by heat; chilly brass, defeated by heat, turns liquid; heat seeps through silver, so does piercing cold;by custom raising the cup, we feel them bothas water is poured in, drop by drop, above.

So clearly will truths kindle light for truths.

Those of our pleasures which come most rarely give the greatest delight.

No man is free who is not master of himself.

Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Therefore, give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions, and determine to pay the price for a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths. Remain steadfast... and one day you will build something that endures, something worthy of your potential.

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. Variant: ...Only the educated are free.

For what is a child? Ignorance. What is a child? Want of instruction. For where a child has knowledge, he is no worse than we are.

For it is not death or pain that is to be feared, but the fear of pain or death. Variant: For death or pain is not formidable, but the fear of pain or death.

For what is lacking now is not quibbles; nay, the books of the Stoics are full of quibbles.

The essence of the good is a certain kind of moral purpose, and that of the evil is a certain kind of moral purpose.

For human beings, the measure of every action is the impression of the senses.

Appearances to the mind are of four kinds. Things either are what they appear to be; or they neither are, nor appear to be; or they are, and do not appear to be; or they are not, and yet appear to be. Rightly to aim in all these cases is the wise man's task.

Show that you know this only, how you may never either fail to get what you desire or fall into what you avoid.

Although life is a matter of indifference, the use which you make of it is not a matter of indifference.

Materials are indifferent, but the use which we make of them is not a matter of indifference.

Look now, this is the starting point of philosophy: the recognition that different people have conflicting opinions, the rejection of mere opinion so that it comes to be viewed with mistrust, an investigation of opinion to determine whether it is rightly held, and the discovery of a standard of judgement, comparable to the balance that we have devised for the determining of weights, or the carpenter's rule for determining whether things are straight or crooked.

When I see someone in anxiety, I say to myself, What can it be that this fellow wants? For if he did not want something that was outside of his control, how could he still remain in anxiety? Book II, ch. 13, § 1.

Why, then, do we wonder any longer that, although in material things we are thoroughly experienced, nevertheless in our actions we are dejected, unseemly, worthless, cowardly, unwilling to stand the strain, utter failures one and all? .

Be bold to look towards God and say, "Use me henceforward for whatever you want; I am of one mind with you; I am yours; I refuse nothing that seems good to you; lead me where you will; wrap me in what clothes you will."

What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid of self-conceit. For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows.

Every habit and faculty is confirmed and strengthened by the corresponding actions, that of walking by walking, that of running by running.

In theory there is nothing to hinder our following what we are taught; but in life there are many things to draw us aside.

If the room is smoky, if only moderately, I will stay; if there is too much smoke I will go. Remember this, keep a firm hold on it, the door is always open.

If we are not stupid or insincere when we say that the good or ill of man lies within his own will, and that all beside is nothing to us, why are we still troubled?

Yet God hath not only granted these faculties, by which we may bear every event without being depressed or broken by it, but like a good prince and a true father, hath placed their exercise above restraint, compulsion, or hindrance, and wholly within our own control.

In a word, neither death, nor exile, nor pain, nor anything of this kind is the real cause of our doing or not doing any action, but our inward opinions and principles.

Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.