When some state or other offered Alexander a part of its territory and half of all its property he told them that 'he hadn't come to Asia with the intention of accepting whatever they cared to give him, but of letting them keep whatever he chose to leave them.' Philosophy, likewise, tells all other occupations: 'It's not my intention to accept whatever time is leftover from you; you shall have, instead, what I reject.' Give your whole mind to her.

One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.

We haven't time to spare to hear whether it was between Italy and Sicily that he ran into a storm or somewhere outside the world we know-when every day we're running into our own storms, spiritual storms, and driven by vice into all the troubles that Ulysses ever knew.

There's one blessing only, the source and cornerstone of beatitude: confidence in self.

It is equally a fault to believe all men or to believe none.

The real compensation of a right action is inherent in having performed it.

Who shrinks from knowledge of his calamities but aggravates his fear; troubles half seen, shall torture all the more.