Epictetus Quotes
Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher of the first and early second centuries, born into slavery in Hierapolis in Roman Phrygia and freed in adulthood. He taught Stoic philosophy in Rome until the emperor Domitian banished philosophers from the city around 93 AD, after which he established a school in Nicopolis on the Adriatic coast. The quotes below are attributed to Epictetus, organized by topic.
Epictetus on Freedom
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“No man is free who is not master of himself.”
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“Only the educated are free.”
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“Some things are within our power, while others are not.”
Epictetus on Happiness
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”
Epictetus on Knowledge
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”
Epictetus on Mind
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“Men are disturbed not by the things which happen, but by the opinions about the things.”
Epictetus on Virtue
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“If you wish to be a writer, write.”
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Attributed to Epictetus:
“Don't explain your philosophy. Embody it.”