Epicureanism Epicurus

"The idle man does not eat as pleasantly as the industrious one."

"When facing pain, remember that some pain ends, some pain weakens over time, and some is easily borne."

"The flesh cries out for deliverance from hunger and thirst; the soul for freedom from fear."

"Be modest in your desires so that you may lead a long and pleasant life."

"Every pleasure is good by reason of its own nature, but not all pleasures are worthy of choice."

"Accustom yourself never to debase yourself for external things."

"The unlimited desire is far more difficult to overcome than death itself."

"To eat bread and water with contentment is more pleasant than to feast on delicacies with anxiety."

"The wise man does not give to the poor in order to increase his reputation, but in order to decrease his pain."

"Philosophy is a gift from the gods to be cherished above all possessions."

"Do not fear god, do not worry about death; what is good is easy to get, and what is terrible is easy to endure."

"The sweetest friendship is that which rests upon a foundation of virtue."

"The noble man is chiefly concerned with wisdom and friendship."

"When we are pained by the absence of a friend, we should direct our thoughts to the joy of having enjoyed their company."

"Prudence is more valuable than philosophy itself."

"He who does not regard what he has as most ample wealth is unhappy, though he be master of the whole world."

"The beginning and root of all good is the pleasure of the stomach."

"Fear of the gods and fear of death disturb the tranquility of human life most of all."

"Practice these and related precepts day and night, alone and with like-minded friends, and you will never be disturbed."

"The greatest reward is the good opinion of others, and this comes from your own virtue."

"Bodily pleasure is made complete when we remove the pain of want."

"It is better to endure hardship in solitude than to live pleasantly among the foolish."

"The happy man is not made so by the nature of things but by the nature of his thoughts."

"Luxury easily turns into its opposite if the mind does not adapt to modest living."

"Through education the soul of the city is enlarged."

"A life of obscurity is preferable to one of public notoriety gained through wickedness."

"The prudent man will work for the good of others as well as himself."

"Those who forget the past are condemned to its repetition."

"The gods are not angry at the wise, but rather do not concern themselves with human affairs at all."

"We must learn which desires are natural and necessary, which natural but not necessary, and which neither natural nor necessary."