Who were the Stoics?
They were a group of Ancient Greek philosophers who followed the Stoic philosophy taught in the 3rd century BC by Zeno of Citium. The name comes from the Stoa, the public space in Athens where he held his classes.
Stoic philosophy is very practical, and centres on the development of reason, discipline and fortitude.
It teaches us be the best people we can be, no matter how difficult or complicated the world may be. For Stoics, circumstances do not matter as much as what we do with them. A happy and meaningful existence is based on cultivating character, choices and actions, not about things beyond our control.
Stoicism is still so much admired, more than two millennia after its appearance, that the word ‘stoical’ has become part of the language.
Here are some of the most useful sayings of Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, the foremost Stoic philosophers.
Seneca Quotes
“When you are a friend to yourself, you are a friend to the whole world.”-- Seneca
“We often have more fear than pain; and we suffer more in imagination than in reality.” -- Seneca
“He isn’t poor who has little, but he who desires much.”-- Seneca
Marcus Aurelius Quotes
“Whenever you are about to point out a fault in someone, ask yourself: what fault in me resembles the one I am about to criticize?” -- Marcus Aurelius
“It takes very little to have a happy life; it’s all within you, in the way you think.” -- Marcus Aurelius
“Be tolerant of others and strict with yourself.” -- Marcus Aurelius
“If it isn’t right, don’t do it; if it isn’t true, don’t say it. Take charge of your inclinations.” -- Marcus Aurelius
Epictetus Quotes
“It isn’t the things that happen to us that make us suffer, but what we tell ourselves about them.” -- Epictetus
“Man isn’t so much concerned with real problems as with the anxieties he creates around them.” -- Epictetus
“There is only one way to attain happiness and that’s to stop worrying about things beyond our control.” -- Epictetus
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