Discourses, Fragments, Handbook (Oxford World's Classics)

The condition and character of a layman is this: that he never expects that benefit or harm will come to him from himself, but only from externals. The condition and character of a philosopher is this: that he expects all benefit and harm to come to him from himself.

Why should you be surprised, then, that you excel in the areas in which you have practised, while you remain exactly the same in those in which you haven

what method can we discover to apply in dealing with them? A method that will ensure that, while they for their part act as they think fit, we for our part will remain nonetheless in accord with nature.

Impressions come to us in four ways. Either things are, and appear so to be; or else they are not, and do not appear to be; or else they are, and do not appear to be; or else they are not, and yet appear to be. [2] It is thus the task of an educated person to hit the mark in each case.

‘I’m he whose duty it is to take care of human beings.

In things relating to the body, take only as much as your bare need requires, with regard to food, for instance, or drink, clothes, housing, or household slaves; but exclude everything that is for show or luxury.

For what else is tragedy than the portrayal in tragic verse of the sufferings of men who have attached high value to external things?

we for our part find all manner of excuses to explain away our mean-spirited behaviour,

serenity and freedom from passion can be achieved only by one who is neither frustrated in his desires nor falls into what he wants to avoid—such a person, then, has rid himself of desire* altogether and put it aside for the present, and feels aversion only towards those things that lie within the sphere of choice.