“A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.” – Seneca
To be perfect means to never think, speak, do, or be wrong or bad or even negative. No one has ever been perfect. No one could ever be perfect. Does this mean we should never try to be perfect? Yes, that is simply too much pressure. The only thing we can and should do is strive for goodness. As Crates states: “It is impossible to find a person free from flaws; just as with the pomegranate, one seed is always going bad.” Stoicism is a philosophy,…Continue Reading “Strive for Goodness”
“Whoever chafes at the conditions dealt by fate is unskilled in the art of life; whoever bears with them nobly and makes wise use of the results is a man who deserves to be considered good.” -Epictetus
“If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person.” -Seneca
“No one is good by accident. Virtue has to be learnt.” -Seneca
“Someone despises me? That is their concern. But I will see to it that I am not found guilty of any word or action deserving contempt. Will they hate me? That is their concern. But I will be kind and well-intentioned to all, and ready to show this very person what they are failing to see – not in any criticism or display of tolerance, but with genuine good will.” -Marcus Aurelius
“If it is not right, don’t do it: if it is not true, don’t say it.” -Marcus Aurelius