The appearance of things to the mind is the standard of every action to man.

If you would be good, first believe that you are bad.

Confident because of our caution

There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.

If a person had delivered up your body to some passer-by, you would certainly be angry. And do you feel no shame in delivering up your own mind to any reviler, to be disconcerted and confounded?

From now on practice saying to everything that appears unpleasant: You are merely an appearance and NOT what you appear to be.

Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.