Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig.

When our friends are present we ought to treat them well; and when they are absent, to speak of them well.

What is yours is to play the assigned part well. But to choose it belongs to someone else

Consider first the nature of the business in hand; then examine thy own nature, whether thou hast strength to undertake it.

Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible.

Happiness is an equivalent for all troublesome things.

Don'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