I have never wished to cater to the crowd; for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not know.

Natural wealth is limited and easily obtained; the wealth defined by vain fancies is always beyond reach.

The greater the Difficulty the more Glory in surmounting it, and the loss of false Joys secures to us a much better Possession of real ones.

Let no young man delay the study of philosophy, and let no old man become weary of it; for it is never too early nor too late to care for the well-being of the soul.

The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool.

Death is meaningless to the living because they are living, and meaningless to the dead… because they are dead.

Men, believing in myths, will always fear something terrible, everlasting punishment as certain or probable . . . Men base all these fears not on mature opinions, but on irrational fancies, that they are more disturbed by fear of the unknown than by facing facts. Peace of mind lies in being delivered from all these fears.