Things themselves don't hurt or hinder us. Things simply are what they are. How we view these things is another matter.People think what they will think; it is of no concern to us.

Who are those people by whom you wish to be admired? Are they not these whom you are in the habit of saying that they are mad? What then? Do you wish to be admired by the mad?

It is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows.

What really frightens and dismays us is not external events themselves, but the way in which we think about them. It is not things that disturb us, but our interpretation of their significance.

Nothing great comes into being all at once.

We do not choose our own parts in life, and have nothing to do with those parts. Our duty is confined to playing them well.

If you desire to be good, begin by believing that you are wicked.