Epictetus

Epictetus (A.D. c. 55 – 135) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey), and lived in Rome until his banishment, when he went to Nicopolis in north-western Greece for the rest of his life. His teachings were written down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses. Epictetus taught that philosophy is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control; we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline.

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” Epictetus

“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” Epictetus

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.” Epictetus

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” Epictetus

“He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.” Epictetus

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” Epictetus