He is free who lives as he wishes to live; who is neither subject to compulsion nor to hindrance, nor to force; whose movements to action are not impeded, whose desires attain their purpose, and who does not fall into that which he would avoid.
EpictetusIt is unlikely that the good of a snail should reside in its shell: so is it likely that the good of a man should?
EpictetusIn prosperity it is very easy to find a friend; but in adversity it is the most difficult of all things.
EpictetusDon't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents." Translation by Sharon Lebell
Epictetus