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From Vol. 4, Issue 8, August 2022

Stoic quotes for every day of the month

Stoic Everyday || Editor

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1 - Should I neglect caring for myself because I am not naturally gifted? I may not be better than Socrates, but if I am not too bad, that’s good enough for me. I may not be an Olympic champion like Milo, but that’s no reason why I should neglect my body. I may not be renowned for my wealth like Croesus, but that’s no reason why I should neglect taking care of my modest property. [Epictetus D12]

2 - You may stand by a clear spring of sweet water and curse it, yet the wholesome spring water will keep on bubbling up… How can you have a perpetual fountain like that? By protecting your right to be your own master every hour of the day, with charity, simplicity, and modesty. [Marcus Aurelius, M8.51]

3 - Anger is not just a movement but, being impulsive, it breaks the bounds. This cannot happen without the consent of the mind. It is not possible to deal with revenge and punishment, without our mind knowing about it. [Seneca, A1.3]

4 - We [must] continue to take care of things even when we know that we may never reach the highest degree of perfection in doing so. [Epictetus D1.2]

5 - What are we to make of anyone who cares for the applause of those who don’t know where they are or what they are? [Marcus Aurelius, M8.52]

6 - Anger, the arousal of the mind to avenge, is a deliberate choice.[Seneca, A1.3]

7 - If you genuinely believed that we are children of God, as you should, you would not think of ourselves as despicable or inferior in any way. [Epictetus D1.3]

8 - Do you want to be praised by people who curse themselves three times an hour? [Marcus Aurelius, M8.53]

9 - We cannot use reason to escape from that first impression on the mind, any more than we can escape the other involuntary movements of the body. [Seneca, A1.4]

10 - If a king were to adopt you, there would be no end to your conceit. How come you are not proud knowing that you are child of God? In fact, you are not happy at all about this. Why? [Epictetus D1.3]

11 - How can people who regret nearly everything they do be happy? [Marcus Aurelius, M8.53]

12 - This evil starts from anger that has lost any thought of mercy and human connection by its frequent use. It finally becomes cruel. [Seneca, A1.5]

13 - From birth, two elements coexist within us: a body that is common to all animals, and a rational mind and intelligence that we share only with God. Unfortunately, we are quick to identify ourselves with animals. [Epictetus D1.3]

14 Let your intelligence be in harmony with the universal intelligence, just as your breath is in harmony with the air that surrounds you. [Marcus Aurelius, M8.54]

15 - Virtue is, by its very nature, joyful. It is as much beneath its dignity to be angry, as to grieve. Sorrow is the companion of anger, and all anger turns into sadness, either from remorse or from rebuff. [Seneca, A2.3]

16 Everyone will necessarily deal with things according to their beliefs. So those that think that they are born for fidelity and respect, and are confident in their correct use of impressions, will not entertain any mean or ignoble thoughts about themselves. [Epictetus D1.3]

17 - An individual’s evil does not harm the victim. It harms no one but the person who is responsible for causing harm. He can free himself anytime he chooses. [Marcus Aurelius, M8.55]

18 - If it is proper for the wise to be angry at wrongdoing, they will be angrier more often, the greater they are. It follows that the wise will not only be angry but quick-tempered. [Seneca, A1.6]

19 Virtue promises happiness, an untroubled mind, and serenity. As you progress building virtue, you progress towards happiness, an untroubled mind, and serenity, no matter where the perfection of it is. [Epictetus D1.3]

20 Other people’s will is of no concern to me any more than their breath or their bodies. [Marcus Aurelius, M8.56]

21 If we do not believe that great and frequent anger can find any place in the mind of the wise, why should we not set them altogether free from this passion? [Seneca, A1.6]

22 - So, who is making progress? Someone who has read Chrysippus’ books? If virtue is no more than reading books by Chrysippus, then progress is nothing more than reading as many of his books as we can. [Epictetus D1.2]

23 - No matter how much we are made for one another, you rule your own domain. [Marcus Aurelius, M8.56]

24 The wise cannot cast their glance in any direction where they wouldn’t see something to shock them. They will faint if they are angry as often as reason calls for it. [Seneca, A1.7]

25 If you are constantly anxious and nervous while trying to be perfect, how have you made progress? [Epictetus D1.3]

26 When you don’t transmit light, you create your own darkness. [Marcus Aurelius, M8.57]

27 - There is one difference between [people] and dumb animals. Animals behave gently with their keepers, while the rage of people bites the very hand that feeds them. [Seneca, A1.8]

28 Show me what you have achieved so far… Show me what you learned from the book: how you exercise your impulse to act or not act, how you manage your desires and aversions, how you approach life, how you apply yourself to it and prepare for it. [Epictetus D132]

29 - If you fear death, you fear what you may experience: nothing at all or something different. If you feel nothing at all, it is no evil; if you feel something different, you are a new being and will continue to exist. [Marcus Aurelius, M8.58]

30 If you want the wise to be angry as the crimes warrant, they would not just be angry but would go insane. [Seneca, A1.9]

31 - Live what you have learned. [Epictetus, D1.4]

D: Discourses. M: Meditations. A: On Anger