1 - The cost of the material things you give up—whether it is food or some furniture—is nothing compared to the goodwill you gain in return. 

[Epictetus, D 2.10] 

2 - Avoid grumbling. Be careful, considerate, and open. Speak and behave modestly. Carry yourself with authority. See how many qualities yours can be right now! [Marcus Aurelius, M 5.5] 

3 - You can be sure that the same is true of rich and poor people. Their suffering is equal. [Seneca, T 8] 

4 - If you are a councillor, remember the duties of a councillor; if young, duties of the young; if old, duties of the old … When you consider your title as you play dis-tinct roles, it will become obvious what you are expected to do. [Epictetus, D 2.10] 

5 - Is it any lack of natural capacity that makes you quarrelsome, mean, fawning, railing at your health, cringing, bragging, and moody? … You could have got rid of these a long time ago. [Marcus Aurelius, M 5.5] 

6 - It is more bearable and less stressful not to gain it than to lose it. [Seneca, T 8] 

7- Each person is strengthened and preserved by actions that reflect their nature. [Epictetus, D 2.9] 

8 - When it comes to working, you are well below what you could achieve. [Marcus Aurelius, M 5.1] 

9 - Nothing delights the mind as much as a faithful and pleasant friendship. [Seneca, T 7] 

10 - Do you have to lose money before you feel you lost something? Is that the only loss that counts? [Epictetus, D 2.10] 

11 - There are also people who don’t at all think about what they have done—like the vine that produces grapes and looks for no more thanks. [Marcus Aurelius, M 5.6] 

12 - Poverty can convert itself into wealth with the help of thrift. Let us avoid the outward show. Let’s measure things by their uses, not by their outward appearance. [Seneca, T 8] 

13 - When our body or possessions are involved, we see harm. But when our choices are involved, we don’t see any harm at all. [Epictetus, D 2.10] 

14 - If you pray at all, keep your prayers simple and innocent. [Marcus Aurelius, M 5.7] 

15 - Let us moderate our pride, soften our anger, look upon poverty without prejudice. [Seneca, T 9] 

16 - When you come to study philosophy the right way, you begin by acknowledging your weakness with reference to important things in life. [Epictetus, D 2.9] 

17 - In the case of the doctor, prescriptions are meant to treat the patient. It is so with nature too. Nature orders certain events to further our destiny. [Marcus Aurelius, M 5.8] 

18 - Everything that is carried to excess is wrong. [Seneca, T 9] 

19 - We all start with agreedupon principles, but we get into disputes because we apply them incorrectly. If you knew how to apply them correctly, then there would be no problem. [Epictetus, D 2.11] 

20 - Let’s accept what comes our way like we accept a doctor’s prescription. They may have a harsh flavor, but so does medicine. [Marcus Aurelius, M 5.8] 

21 - No matter what type of life you choose, you will find delights, relaxations, and pleasure in it if you are willing to look upon problems lightly rather than with hate. [Seneca, T 10] 

22 - We cannot establish something is correct just because it feels correct to us. It is not enough evidence. [Epictetus, D 2.11] 

23 - It is not nature’s way to bring anything upon you unless she manages it and it is beneficial to the world as a whole. [Marcus Aurelius, M5.8] 

24 - No one could endure misfortune if it continued to have the same force with which it struck us. [Seneca, T 10] 

25 - When a guide meets with someone who is lost, ordinarily his reaction is to direct him on the right path, not mock or malign him. [Epictetus, D 2.12] 

26 - Don’t be distressed, don’t despair and give up, if your practice falls short of principles. Return to your practice after each failure. [Marcus Aurelius, M 5.9] 

27 - We are all chained to Fortune. For some of us, the chain is loose and made of gold, and, for others, it is tight and made of base metal. [Seneca, T 10] 

28 - Whenever I see someone who is anxious, I ask, “What does this person want?” Unless you want something that is not under your control, how can you be anxious? [Epictetus, D 2.13] 

29 - Philosophy is a remedy, like the sponge and egg white that are used to relieve sore eyes. It is not for public display but for private comfort. [Marcus Aurelius, M 5.9] 

30 - No condition can be so miserable that a balanced mind cannot find some comfort in it. [Seneca, T 10] 

31 - People want what they cannot have and try to avoid what they cannot escape. [Epictetus, D 2.13] 

D=Discourses by Epictetus 

M=Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 

T=On Tranquility by Seneca 

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