Stoic Quotes That Will Inspire You

Stoicism is one of the ancient branches of philosophy, potent enough to guide us, every step of the way, in our daily life. Be it coping with a failure, missing an opportunity, or dealing with anger, stoic wisdom has something to offer that can guide us. It is a paradigm-shifting and action evoking philosophy that has inspired many great personalities.

Stoicism is the philosophy designed by the ancients to solve real-world problems and help us be a better version of ourselves. Stoicism is sometimes misunderstood as being dark and emotionless, yet the profound wisdom that it offers can bring light into the darkened lives of many. It inspires us by preparing us for reality rather than pumping us up with unreal hope. It motivates us to adapt to the best mindset to beat the challenging surroundings by bringing in change within.

Below are the quotes that will surely inspire you to be a better version of yourself:

Seneca

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

“No good thing is pleasant to possess without friends to share it with.”

“It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult.”

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”

“Would you really know what Philosophy offers humanity; Philosophy offers counsel.”

“We look at the words so they can be translated into works.”

“Associate with people who are likely to improve you.”

“Hang on to your youthful enthusiasms — you’ll be able to use them better when you’re older.”

“Just as some diseases jump over onto those we have touched, so the mind infects those closest to us with evils.”

“He suffers more than necessary, who suffers before it is necessary.”

“The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.”

“To wish to be well is a part of becoming well.”

“He who is brave is free.”

Epictetus

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?”

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

“A ship should not ride on a single anchor, nor life on a single hope.”

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

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

“If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, ‘He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would have not mentioned these alone.’”

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”

“Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.”

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

“You become what you give your attention to.”

“No person is free who is not master of himself.”

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

Marcus Aurelius

“Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.”

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

“Your mind will take the shape of what you frequently hold in thought, for the human spirit is colored by such impressions.”

“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love…”

“Dig deep within yourself, for there is a fountain of goodness ever ready to flow if you will keep digging.”

“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.”

“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?”

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

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”

“It’s a disgrace in this life when the soul surrenders first while the body refuses to.”

“People are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them.”

“You’re better off not giving the small things more time than they deserve.”

“The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.”

“Take a good hard look at people’s ruling principle, especially of the wise, what they run away from & what they seek out.”

“Don’t go on discussing what a good person should be. Just be one.”

“Remember that very little is needed to make a happy life.”

Zeno of Citium

“Man conquers the world by conquering himself.”

“By silence, I hear other men’s imperfections and conceal my own.”

“Steel your sensibilities, so that life shall hurt you as little as possible.”

“All things are parts of one single system, which is called nature; the individual life is good when it is in harmony with nature.”

“Better to trip with the feet than with the tongue”

“Fate is the endless chain of causation, whereby things are; the reason or formula by which the world goes on.”

“Wellbeing is attained by little and little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself.”

“The end may be defined as life in accordance with nature or, in other words, in accordance with our own human nature as well as that of the universe.”

“All the good are friends of one another.”

Cato

“I begin to speak only when I’m certain what I’ll say isn’t better left unsaid.”

“Bitter are the roots of study, but how sweet their fruit.”

“In doing nothing men learn to do evil.”

“Flee sloth; for the indolence of the soul is the decay of the body.”

“Consider in silence whatever anyone says: speech both conceals and reveals the inner soul of man.”

Hope it inspires you.

Read These Quotes To Feel Happier and Experience Positive Emotions.