Virtue

At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: 'I have to go to work — as a human being.'

Take care not to be Caesarified, or dyed with purple; for it does happen. Keep thyself then simple, good, pure, serious, free from affectation.

It is a man's special privilege to love even those who wrong him.

Your present opinion founded on understanding, your present conduct directed to social good, your present disposition contented with everything that happens — that is enough.

Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.

Everything you're trying to reach — by taking the long way round — you could have right now, this moment. If you'd only stop thwarting your own attempts.

Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.

Since it is possible that thou mayest depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly.

Never value anything as profitable to thyself which shall compel thee to break thy promise, to lose thy self-respect, to hate any man, to suspect, to curse, to act the hypocrite, to desire anything which needs walls and curtains.

Do every act of thy life as if it were thy last, free from all vanity, passionate deviation from reason, hypocrisy, self-love, and discontent with thy portion.

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.

The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.

If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth.

That which is not good for the bee-hive cannot be good for the bees.

Do not be ashamed to be helped; for it is thy business to do thy duty like a soldier in the assault on a town.

Every nature is contented with itself when it goes on its way well; and a rational nature goes on its way well, when in its thoughts it assents to nothing false or uncertain.

He who acts unjustly acts impiously. For since the universal nature has made rational animals for the sake of one another, he who acts contrary to nature commits impiety against the highest divinity.

Wilt thou, then, my soul, never be good and simple and one and naked, more manifest than the body which surrounds thee?

If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.

From my tutor I learned endurance of labour, and to want little, and to work with my own hands, and not to meddle with other people's affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander.

From Apollonius I learned freedom of will and undeviating steadiness of purpose; and to look to nothing else, not even for a moment, except to reason.

From Sextus, a benevolent disposition, and the example of a family governed in a fatherly manner, and the idea of living conformably to nature; and gravity without affectation.

In my father I observed mildness of temper, and unchangeable resolution in the things which he had determined after due deliberation... a man ready to listen to those who had anything to propose for the common weal.

Remember how long thou hast been putting off these things, and how often thou hast received an opportunity from the gods, and yet dost not use it.

Every moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what thou hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and freedom, and justice.

Nothing is more wretched than a man who traverses everything in a round, and pries into the things beneath the earth, and conjectures what is in the minds of his neighbours, without perceiving that it is sufficient to attend to the daemon within him.

The soul of man does violence to itself, first of all, when it becomes an abscess, and, as it were, a tumour on the universe... Secondly, when it is averse from any man, or even moves towards him with the intention of injuring, such as are the souls of those who are angry.

If thou findest in human life anything better than justice, truth, temperance, fortitude... turn to it with all thy soul.

To the aids which have been mentioned let this one still be added: make for thyself a definition or description of the thing which is presented to thee, so as to see distinctly what kind of a thing it is in its substance.

If thou workest at that which is before thee, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly, without allowing anything else to distract thee... thou wilt live happy.

Let no act be done without a purpose, nor otherwise than according to the perfect principles of art.

That which does not make a man worse than he was, also does not make his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or from within.

How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it may be just and pure.

Hast thou reason? I have. Why then dost not thou use it?

One kind of man, when he has done a service to another, is ready to set down the favour to his account. Another is not ready to do this, but still in his own mind he thinks of the man as his debtor... But a third in a manner does not even know what he has done, but he is like a vine which has produced grapes.

Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when thou hast failed, return back again.

Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear.

Let it make no difference to thee whether thou art cold or warm, if thou art doing thy duty; and whether thou art drowsy or satisfied with sleep... For the activity about which thou art busied is a kind of sacred function.

Take pleasure in one thing and rest in it, in passing from one social act to another social act, thinking of God.

What then is that which ought to be valued? To be received with clapping of hands? No. Neither must we value the clapping of tongues, for the praise which comes from the many is a clapping of tongues.

If a thing is difficult to be accomplished by thyself, do not think that it is impossible for man: but if anything is possible for man and conformable to his nature, think that this can be attained by thyself too.

When thou wishest to delight thyself, think of the virtues of those who live with thee; for instance, the activity of one, and the modesty of another, and the liberality of a third.

Accustom thyself to attend carefully to what is said by another, and as much as it is possible, be in the speaker's mind.

Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.

This is the mark of perfection of character — to pass through every day as if it were the last, without agitation, without torpor, without pretence.

First, do nothing inconsiderately, nor without a purpose. Second, make thy acts refer to nothing else than to a social end.

It is not fit that I should give myself pain, for I have never intentionally given pain even to another.

Thou must arrange thy life, action by action, and if each action, so far as it is possible, does its office, be satisfied.

Men exist for the sake of one another. Teach them then or bear with them.

He who does wrong does wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly acts unjustly to himself, because he makes himself bad.

He who does not do the things which he ought to do, is guilty of injustice equally with him who does the things which he ought not to do.

Love the art, poor as it may be, which thou hast learned, and be content with it; and pass through the rest of life like one who has intrusted to the gods with his whole soul all that he has.

Adorn thyself with simplicity and with indifference towards the things which lie between virtue and vice. Love mankind. Follow God.

Acquire the contemplative way of seeing how all things change into one another, and constantly attend to it, and exercise thyself about this part of philosophy. For nothing is so much adapted to produce magnanimity.

It is enough to remember that the limit which is best for each thing is that which contains it; and it is not the man who chooses it, but the nature of the whole.

These are the properties of the rational soul: it sees itself, analyses itself, and makes itself such as it chooses; the fruit which it bears itself enjoys.

What a soul that is which is ready, if at any moment it must be separated from the body... But this readiness must come from a man's own judgement, not from mere obstinacy, as with the Christians, but considerately and with dignity.

I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.

Either there is a fatal necessity and invincible order, or a kind Providence, or a confusion without a purpose. If then there is an invincible necessity, why dost thou resist?

Thou hast embarked, thou hast made the voyage, thou art come to shore; get out. If indeed to another life, there is no want of gods, not even there. But if to a state without sensation, thou wilt cease to be held by pains and pleasures.

From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper.

From my mother, piety and bountifulness; to abstain from evil deeds and thoughts; and simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich.

From my brother Severus, love to my kin, and to love truth and justice; and through him I learned to know Thrasea, Helvidius, Cato, Dion, Brutus, and received the idea of a polity administered with equity.

From my brother, I learned to be ready to be reconciled with those who have once offended, when they are willing to meet us halfway; and to read carefully, and not to be satisfied with a superficial knowledge of books.

From the gods, I received good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister, good teachers, good associates, good kinsmen and friends, nearly everything good.

When thou risest in the morning, think what a privilege it is to live, to think, to enjoy, to love.

The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like the wrong-doer.

If it is not right, do not do it: if it is not true, do not say it. For let thy efforts be in this manner.

What then is it which can conduct a man? One thing and only one — philosophy. But this consists in keeping the daemon within a man free from violence and unharmed, superior to pain and pleasure.

At the morning, when thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present — I am rising to the work of a human being. Why then am I dissatisfied if I am going to do the things for which I exist and for which I was brought into the world?

If thou findest in human life anything better than justice, truth, temperance, fortitude, turn to it with all thy soul, and enjoy that which thou hast found to be the best.

I shall meet to-day inquisitive, ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil.

Let not a man do anything else but what tends to the harmony of the whole, and what is useful to it. For every part of nature, if it is useful, it is also good; and it is useful for the whole.

If our intellectual part is common, the reason also, in respect of which we are rational beings, is common: if this is so, common also is the reason which commands us what to do, and what not to do.

If the power of deliberation is not in our control, nothing else is. For if it is not in our control, it is not our own action. And if it is our own action, we are free.

If the gods have determined about me and about the things which must happen to me, they have determined well, for it is not easy even to imagine a deity without forethought.

Within ten days thou wilt seem a god to those to whom thou art now a beast and an ape, if thou wilt return to thy principles and the worship of reason.

To the rational animal the same act is according to nature and according to reason.

Even when a man shall have completely lost the power of thought, let him still hold fast to this social affection. For a much better thing is this social affection than the pleasure of the senses.

Everything which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself. Neither worse then nor better is a thing made by being praised.

Put from thee the opinion which thou hast that this is a wearisome thing, and the thing is changed: so too with thy foot, if thou keep it still on the footboard.

Hasten to examine thy own governing part and the things about it. If there is anything in it that is diseased, reject it. But if thou seest it free from disease, consider no other thing.

To the better part of the soul it is indifferent whether it is moved to a feverish or a healthy state, or whether it is in a state of heat or cold; for the soul is equally indifferent to all these.

When a man is properly disciplined in self-respect and reverence, he will not be easily moved to indignation, and his aspect will not be querulous.

Cease to be carried away by the stream of life, and wake up, as from a dream. See things as they are, and consider them as they really are.

The intelligence of the universe is social. Accordingly it has made the inferior things for the sake of the superior, and it has fitted the superior to one another.

Let us try to persuade men of it. But act even against their will, when the principles of justice lead thee. If however any one by using force stands in thy way, betake thyself to contentment and tranquility, and at the same time employ the hindrance towards the exercise of some other virtue.

If a man is mistaken, instruct him kindly and show him his error. But if thou art not able, blame thyself, or blame not even thyself.

Fit thyself to the estate in which providence has placed thee, and love the people with whom it is thy lot to live, but do it sincerely.

Always make a sketch or plan of whatever presents itself to thy mind, so as to see what sort of thing it is when stripped down to its essence, and tell thyself its proper name and the names of its parts.

What is not good for the swarm is not good for the bee. It is no harm to the bee if it is not good for the swarm. But if the bee is not good for the swarm, it is not good for the bee either.

If sailors spoke ill of the pilot or patients of the physician, what else would they listen to but what is good for them?

Go to the sleep with these thoughts: This body is a corpse; this dwelling is a lodging; this life is a passing journey.

They are slaves. No, they are men. They are slaves. No, comrades.

Ponder for a long time whether you shall admit a given person to your friendship; but when you have decided to admit him, welcome him with all your heart and soul.

Inwardly we ought to be different in all respects, but our exterior should conform to society.

Recede in te ipse quantum potes; cum his versare qui te meliorem facturi sunt. Withdraw into yourself as much as you can. Associate with those who will make a better man of you.

The wise man is self-sufficient — yet he desires friends, neighbors, and associates, no matter how much he is sufficient unto himself.

Real joy, believe me, is a stern matter. Can one, do you think, despise death with a care-free countenance, or with a 'blithe and gay' expression, as our young dandies are accustomed to say?

Animum debes mutare, non caelum. You must change your soul, not your sky.

All men, if they are traced back to their original source, spring from the gods.

What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself.

If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.

As it is with a play, so it is with life — what matters is not how long the acting lasts, but how good it is. It is not important at what point you stop. Stop wherever you will — only make sure that you round it off with a good ending.

Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness.

It is the part of a great man to despise injuries from his inferiors.

Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt. Fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant.

No matter what you have done in the dark, light will reveal it.

Homines, dum docent, discunt. Men learn while they teach.

In order to make good progress, the wise man's peace should not be disturbed by any external event... But the wise man will never provoke the anger of those in power; nay, he will turn his course, precisely as he would turn from a storm.

Recede in te ipsum quantum potes. Withdraw into yourself as far as you can.

The primary indication, to my thinking, of a well-ordered mind is a man's ability to remain in one place and linger in his own company.

The mind must be given relaxation; it will rise improved and sharper after a good break... Return to your studies as often as you can; but you should also allow relaxation to your mind.

A wise man is content with himself, and yet needs friends. He wishes to have as many friends as possible, not, however, that he may live happily; for he will live happily even without friends.

Rehearse this thought every day, that you may be able to depart from life contentedly; for many men clutch and cling to life, even as those who are carried down a rushing stream clutch and cling to briars and sharp rocks.

Recede in te ipse; sed ante te ipsum praepara ut recipiaris. Withdraw into yourself; but first prepare yourself to receive yourself.

As long as you live, keep learning how to live.

There is no glory in outstripping donkeys.

Trust me, it is better to understand the balance-sheet of one's own life than of the corn-trade.

It is my great pleasure to seek out wise men, but I am not going to sail past Africa in order to hear that Metrodorus was not so miserable as he thought he was.

No one lives poorly who dies well, and no one lives well who dies poorly.

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.

The soul should know whither it is going and whence it came, what is good for it and what is evil, what it seeks and what it avoids, and what is that Reason which distinguishes between the desirable and the undesirable.

Non refert quam multos libros habeas, sed quam bonos. It is quality rather than quantity that matters in books.

Nowhere is he who is everywhere.

The mind is never right but when it is at peace within itself.

It is not that things are so evil, but that our judgments concerning them are so.

So long as you live, keep learning how to live.

Slavery resides beneath marble and gold... Riches are the greatest cause of human sorrow.

The wise man is joyful, happy, calm, unshaken; he lives on a level with the gods.

Non satis est monere, admonere debemus. It is not enough to warn — we must remind.

Vivere, Lucili, militare est. To live, Lucilius, is to fight.

A great pilot can sail even when his canvas is rent; if his ship be dismantled, he can yet put in trim what remains of her hull and hold his course.

As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.

Great things cannot be born of hasty efforts.

Ambition destroys many blessings.

There is no delight in owning anything unshared.

The wise man will live as long as he ought, not as long as he can.

The primary indication, to my thinking, of a well-ordered mind is a man's ability to remain in one place and linger in his own company.

The wise man will never provoke the anger of those in power; nay, he will turn his course, precisely as he would turn from a storm.

The sum total of our improvement is the result of our habits.

The greatest blessing is a free mind. This is what philosophy bestows: a soul that is self-reliant, a soul that is unshaken.

We are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it.

If you wish to be loved, love.

A good conscience fears no witnesses, but a guilty one, even when alone, suspects the presence of others.

A guilty conscience is the most terrible of all witnesses.

The sun also shines on the wicked.

Nothing is more dishonorable than an old man, heavy with years, who has no other evidence to give of his having lived long except his age.

If you wish to be a good man, you must first be a good man in private; for it is not possible to be good in public if you are not good in private.

It is not the hardships that come to us, but the way we bear them, that makes us miserable or strong.

The wise man is joyful, happy, calm, unshaken; he lives on a level with the gods.

No one lives poorly who dies well, and no one lives well who dies poorly.

We learn not for school, but for life.

No man is good by accident. Virtue has to be learnt.

The Fates lead the willing, and drag the unwilling.

The mind is never right but when it is at peace within itself.

The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.

We should every night call ourselves to an account: What infirmity have I mastered to-day? What passions opposed? What temptation resisted? What virtue acquired?

The happy man is not he who is not in any present trouble, but he who has not changed his character by any trouble.

We are members of a great body; and we are born into this commonwealth for the common good.

It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow us to achieve the greatest things.

When you are thinking of a friend, do you never think of him as having a flaw? A friend is not a person who has no flaws, but one whom you love despite them.

It is more difficult to keep a measure in prosperity than to bear adversity with patience.

It is quality rather than quantity that matters. It is better to read a little and thoroughly, than to read much and superficially.

No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself.

The Fates guide the person who accepts them and hinder the person who resists them.

Philosophy is not a thing to be read in a corner; it is a guide to life.

The good man is always the same, in every fortune; he is happy even in adversity, because he has placed all his goods in virtue.

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.

The road is long if one proceeds by way of precepts, but short and effectual if by way of examples.

We are born under circumstances that would be favorable if we did not abandon them. It was nature's intention that there should be no need of great equipment for a good life.

The wise man is neither raised up by prosperity nor cast down by adversity; for always he has striven to rely on himself and to derive all his joy from himself.

Let us not ask whether there is a Providence: let us be convinced that there is, and let us act accordingly.

It is the part of a great man to despise injuries from his inferiors. The most contemptible form of revenge is not to be like the person who performed the injury.

We are not given a short life but we make it short. Life is long if you know how to use it.

The mind should not be kept continuously at the same pitch of concentration, but given amusing diversions. Socrates did not blush to play with little children.

You are doing an excellent thing if you are content with the life you have been granted; it is a bad sign if you are not.

The wise man will never be miserable, nor will the bad man ever be happy. For the good man's mind is calm and undisturbed.

The wise man is a whole. The wise man is never less alone than when he is alone.

A man who makes a mistake and does not correct it is making another mistake.

It is not that you have so little time, but that you lose so much. The life we receive is not short, but we make it so.

The person who has learned to die has unlearned how to be a slave. He is above, or at least beyond, all fortune.

We are not in command of our circumstances, but we are in command of our virtues. We should make ourselves independent of all external things.

The wise man is neither elated by prosperity nor depressed by adversity; for he has always endeavored to depend on himself, and to derive all joy from himself.

The happy life is not found in pleasure or riches, but in the soul that is satisfied with virtue.

A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.

It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested.

It takes the whole of life to learn how to live, and — what will perhaps make you wonder more — it takes the whole of life to learn how to die.

He who has learnt to die has unlearnt to be a slave. He is superior, or at least equal, to all things.

The best plan is to reject straightway the first incentives to anger, to resist its very beginnings, and to take care not to be betrayed into it.

How much better to heal than seek revenge from injury. Vengeance wastes a lot of time and exposes you to many more injuries than the first that sparked it.

Calamity is virtue's opportunity.

What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.

A man thus grounded must, whether he wills or not, necessarily be attended by constant cheerfulness and a joy that is deep and issues from deep within, since he finds delight in his own resources.

No one can wear a mask for very long.

The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity; yet there is a still greater sight — a great man cheerfully at grips with adversity.

Non est ad astra mollis e terris via. There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.

We should not, like sheep, follow the herd of creatures in front of us, going where they go, not where we ought to go.

The greatest cure of anger is delay: beg anger to grant thee this at the first, not that it may pardon the offence, but that it may judge of it aright.

The best remedy for injuries is to forget them.

It is more civilized to make fun of life than to bewail it.

Life, if you know how to use it, is long.

Of all people, only those are at leisure who make time for philosophy — only those are really alive. For not only do they keep a good watch over their own lifetimes, but they annex every age to theirs.

God does not make a spoiled pet of a good man. He tests him, hardens him, and prepares him for his own service.

Fire tests gold, and misery tests brave men.

Nusquam est qui ubique est. He is nowhere who is everywhere.

No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself.

It is quality of life, not quantity, that matters.

Whatever course you take, you will fall foul of your own vices. Change of place does not diminish these; travel does not lessen them.

You are like a man who should spend the whole day in amusement and then be surprised that he has not accomplished anything.

No one will bring back the years; no one will restore you to yourself. Life will follow the path it began to take, and will neither reverse nor check its course.

It is not that we have so short a time, but that we lose so much of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow us to achieve the greatest things.

Of all people, only those are at leisure who make time for philosophy; only those are really alive. For they not only keep a good watch over their own lifetimes, but they annex every age to theirs.

When you see a person always in his robes, either in the house or in the forum, beset by many clients, you may be sure that he is not busy with the affairs of others but his own.

Anger is a short madness. For it does not err in judgment, but it is mad.

The other passions affect the mind; anger affects the whole man. It makes the hands ready, the eyes fierce, the face swollen, the veins black, the breath hard and uneven.

Some of the wisest of men have called anger a short madness. For it is equally devoid of self-control, regardless of decorum, forgetful of kinship, obstinately intent on whatever it has begun.

Let a man retreat into himself as much as he can; let him associate with those who will make him better; let him read good books. These will all be helps against anger.

Anger, if once it is allowed to rise, does not easily return to reason; it rushes on and, like fire, consumes all before it.

The greatest remedy for anger is delay. Beg anger to grant you this at the first, not that it may pardon the offense, but that it may judge it aright.

Let us be kind to those who sin; we shall be the first to gain by it. Anger is bad for the body; it harms the angry man more than the object of his anger.

A great mind is not the mind that is agitated by many things, but the mind that is calm in the midst of many things.

The mind is never right but when it is at peace within itself. It must be its own refuge, its own support, its own strength.

The best way to be tranquil is to do nothing that is not useful, and to do everything that is useful, with a calm and cheerful mind.

You have asked me, Lucilius, why, if the world is governed by Providence, so many evils befall good men. This question would not be asked if you knew that the good are good only because they are tried.

No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself. The highest proof of virtue is to bear the loss of all things without sorrow.

What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears. But if you are wise, you will not weep for what is inevitable.

I am grieved, Marcia, to see you in unceasing sorrow. But if you would consider who you are, and what you have lost, you would not grieve so long.

Your son has not been lost to you; he has been put away. He is not dead; he is withdrawn. He is happier now, freed from the burdens of the body.

Grief, like all other emotions, should be governed by reason. It is not unmanly to weep, but it is unmanly to be conquered by weeping.

The remembrance of a noble life is a consolation that does not pass away. It is a possession that no fortune can take from us.

It is not exile that is grievous, but the mind that brings grief to exile. The place one lives in is indifferent; the character is everything.

You have lost a son; but you have not lost your virtue. If you bear this bravely, you will have gained more than you have lost.

Poverty, exile, and sorrow are not evils; only a base mind can make them so. A good man carries his happiness with him.

No one can be happy who looks to himself alone. The greatest consolation in trouble is the thought that we are not suffering alone, and that others have borne as much and more.

The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. So too with exile: it is not the place but the mind that makes it bitter or sweet.