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The cause of all human evils is the not being able to apply general principles to special cases.

Epictetus

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Epictetus
Philosopher
Epictetus of Hierapolis
Human
General
Humans
Cause
Cases
Principles
Special
Evils
Causes
Apply
Evil
Ethics
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Morality

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Never say of anything I have lost it, only say that I have given it back.
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The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.
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It is a mark of a mean capacity to spend much time on the things which concern the body, such as much exercise, much eating, much drinking, much easing of the body, much copulation. But these things should be done as subordinate things: and let all your care be directed to the mind.
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It is not so much what happens to you as how you think about what happens. Epictetus
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Don't explain your philosophy. Embody it.
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Never depend on the admiration of others for self-satisfaction. It is a fact of life that other people, even people who love you, will not necessarily agree with your ideas, understand you always, or share your enthusiasms.
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There is only one thing for which God has sent me into the world, and that is to develop every kind of virtue or strength, and there is nothing in all the world that I cannot use for this purpose.
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Neither the victories of the Olympic Games nor those achieved in battles make the man happy. The only victories that make him happy are those achieved against himself. Temptations and tests are combats. You have beaten one, two, many times still fight. If you defeat at last you will be happy your entire life, as if you have always defeated.
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What disturbs and alarms man are not the things, but his opinions and fancies about the things.
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Think of God oftener than you breathe.
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If you seek Truth, you will not seek to gain a victory by every possible means and when you have found Truth, you need not fear being defeated.
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We can't control the impressions others form about us, and the effort to do so only debases our character.
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If a man is unhappy, remember that his unhappiness is his own fault, for God made all men to be happy.
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Any one thing in the creation is sufficient to demonstrate a Providence to a humble and grateful mind.
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It is the sign of a dull mind to dwell upon the cares of the body, to prolong exercise, eating and drinking and other bodily functions. These things are best done by the way all your attention must be given to the mind.
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What is it to be a philosopher? Is it not to be prepared against events?
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What thou avoidest suffering thyself seek not to impose on others.
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Freedom and slavery, the one is the name of virtue, and the other of vice, and both are acts of the will.
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Any person capable of angering you becomes your master he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.
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What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? I was practicing for this, I was training for this.
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