Bits of Wisdom #6 : Epicurus
From the ancient till modern times, Greece has been the homeland for many important historical events and people who have marked the history of the country and have influenced the course of the world. People with talent, inspiration, and vision have set the grounds of modern civilization. Ancient thinkers words on life, success, courage and character hold true centuries later and can be just the pick-me-up we need, whatever the work day throws at us. The Ancient Greek philosophers used few words, 'quotes', to express pearls of wisdom that stand up today as guidelines for living wisely and compassionately.
EPICURUS
Philosopher of the 4th century BC
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for”
“Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist”
“It is better for you to be free of fear lying upon a pallet, than to have a golden couch and a rich table and be full of trouble”
“Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance”
“If God listened to the prayers of men, all men would quickly have perished: for they are forever praying for evil against one another”
“Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship”
“It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself”
“You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity”
“It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly. And it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living a pleasant life”
“It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help”
“Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempest”
“Justice... is a kind of compact not to harm or be harmed”
“The time when most of you should withdraw into yourself is when you are forced to be in a crowd”
“You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity”
“The art of living well and the art of dying well are one”