By Maxime Lagacé
Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.
To be a Stoic is simple:
- Stay calm
- Do the right thing
- Ignore what you don’t control
But most people are “being jerked like a puppet” as Marcus Aurelius once said.
That’s why I’ve collected 91 Of The Best Stoic Quotes (For A Better Life).
My goal is to help you:
- Find peace of mind
- Build your character
- Build a new perspective on life
You’ll discover quotes by Seneca, Epictetus, Einstein, and more.
So, are you ready to transform your life with this 2000-year-old philosophy?
Enjoy!
Man conquers the world by conquering himself. Zeno of Citium (Founder of Stoicism)
To be calm is the highest achievement of the self. Zen proverb
Success is based off of your willingness to work your ass off no matter what obstacles are in your way. David Goggins
When someone is properly grounded in life, they shouldn’t have to look outside themselves for approval. Epictetus
Learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference. Marcus Aurelius
To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden. Seneca
The ultimate power in life is to be completely self-reliant, completely yourself. Robert Greene
Too many people believe that everything must be pleasurable in life. Robert Greene
The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately. Seneca
Just keep in mind: the more we value things outside our control, the less control we have. Epictetus
A rational person can find peace by cultivating indifference to things outside of their control. Naval Ravikant
Fate leads the willing, and drags along the reluctant. Seneca
The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable. Seneca
Relentlessly prune bullshit, don’t wait to do things that matter, and savor the time you have. Paul Graham
Be a master of the mind, not mastered by the mind. Zen proverb
The more you seek the uncomfortable, the more you will become comfortable. Conor McGregor
Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. Viktor Frankl
To make a goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle. Albert Einstein
The tranquility that comes when you stop caring what they say. Or think, or do. Only what you do. Marcus Aurelius
If you make happiness your goal, you’ll be disappointed. If you make presence your goal, you’ll be peaceful. Maxime Lagacé
If it’s endurable, then endure it. Stop complaining. Marcus Aurelius
Failure and deprivation are the best educators and purifiers. Albert Einstein
That one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backwards, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it… but love it. Friedrich Nietzsche
That’s what Stoicism is all about: learning to live a good life by developing peace of mind through confidence of one’s ability to overcome adversity. The Daily Stoic (Amazon book)
The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are. Marcus Aurelius
The great law of nature is that it never stops. There is no end. Ryan Holiday
Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it. Epictetus
Related: What Is Stoicism? A Simple Definition & 10 Stoic Core Principles (njlifehack.com)
It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it. Seneca
I love to go and see all the things I am happy without. Socrates (On going to the market)
The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief. Othello
Stoicism is about the domestication of emotions, not their elimination. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
A Stoic is someone who transforms fear into prudence, pain into transformation, mistakes into initiation, and desire into undertaking. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Stoicism teaches how to keep a calm and rational mind no matter what happens to you and it helps you understand and focus on what you can control and not worry about and accept what you can’t control. Jonas Salzgeber
Stoicism, understood properly, is a cure for a disease. The disease in question is the anxiety, grief, fear, and various other negative emotions that plague humans and prevent them from experiencing a joyful existence. William B. Irvine
Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. Steve Jobs
The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred. Dalai Lama
Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be, be one. Marcus Aurelius
Related
- 73 Life Is Short Quotes To Help You Live To The Fullest
- 83 Simplicity Quotes For More Simplicity In Your Life
- 100 Jordan Peterson Quotes On Responsibility, Order, And Life
A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. Seneca
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. Epictetus
What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain. Maya Angelou
You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Marcus Aurelius
Many men will meet me who are drunkards, lustful, ungrateful, greedy, and excited by the frenzy of ambition. Seneca
Set aside a certain number of days during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while, “Is this the condition that I feared?” Seneca
What is to give light must endure burning. Viktor Frankl
Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. Voltaire
What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do. Tim Ferriss
It is not daily increase but daily decrease, hack away the unessential. The closer to the source, the less wastage there is. Bruce Lee
He has the most who is content with the least. Diogenes
The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is so we might listen more and talk less. Zeno of Citium
If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished? Rumi
Nothing endures but change. Heraclitus
Why should we pay so much attention to what the majority thinks? Socrates
Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself. Marcus Aurelius
No human thing is of serious importance. Plato
Ensure you endure. Maxime Lagacé
You do not choose your problems. You choose how you react to them. Dan Go (Source)
Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power. James Allen
The obstacle is the way. Ryan Holiday
What we desire makes us vulnerable. Ryan Holiday (The Daily Stoic)
Move toward resistance and pain. Robert Greene
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But certainty is an absurd one. Voltaire
Discomfort is the currency of success. Brooke Castillo
Show people, don’t tell people. David Goggins
Discomfort is a wise teacher. Caroline Myss
What is the secret of success? One word answer: “rational”. Charlie Munger
To be evenminded is the greatest virtue. Heraclitus
To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. Eckhart Tolle
If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. Unknown
You don’t need medication. You need to stop describing normal life as a problem. Life is hard. Then you die. The only problem you have is thinking you’re somehow entitled to an easy life. Alex Hormozi
Don’t aim to be perfect. Aim to be antifragile. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
You will be attacked for doing the right thing. Do it anyway. @TheStoicEmperor
Keep your intention pure. Emotions will try to distract you. So keep going. That’s the cure. Maxime Lagacé
Related: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Amazon book)
Be stoic: Just do the right thing. Just keep going. Maxime Lagacé
Do what you will. Even if you tear yourself apart, most people will continue doing the same things. Marcus Aurelius
It can ruin your life only if it ruins your character. Otherwise it cannot harm you — inside or out. Marcus Aurelius
Every hour focus your mind attentively…on the performance of the task in hand, with dignity, human sympathy, benevolence and freedom, and leave aside all other thoughts. You will achieve this, if you perform each action as if it were your last. Marcus Aurelius
Control your perceptions. Direct your actions properly. Willingly accept what’s outside your control. Ryan Holiday (The Daily Stoic)
In life, it doesn’t matter what happens to you or where you came from. It matters what you do with what happens and what you’ve been given. Ryan Holiday
Never let people who choose the path of least resistance steer you away from your chosen path of most resistance. David Goggins (Related: The World’s Toughest Man! – David Goggins, YouTube video)
Short term thinking is everywhere. Noisy feuds over little prizes. The long term thinker will be king. Win the decade, not the day. @TheStoicEmperor
Give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths. Epictetus
To be stoic is not to be emotionless, but to remain unaffected by your emotions. James Pierce
Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer. Put your principles into practice – now. Stop the excuses and the procrastination. This is your life! […] Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do – now. Epictetus
Make the mind tougher by exposing it to adversity. Robert Greene
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. Marcus Aurelius
As each day arises, welcome it as the very best day of all, and make it your own possession. We must seize what flees. Seneca
Inwardly, we ought to be different in every respect, but our outward dress should blend in with the crowd. Seneca
Be so busy building your own life that other people’s bullshit is of no concern. Ed Latimore (edlatimore.com)
We are quick to forget that just being alive is an extraordinary piece of good luck, a remote event, a chance occurrence of monstrous proportions. Nicholas Nassim Taleb
Difficulty is what wakes up the genius. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn’t matter. Marcus Aurelius
Related: The Obstacle Is the Way (Amazon book)
Key Takeaways
- Being stoic is the art of doing what must be done, calmly and courageously.
- The benefits of being stoic?
- More inner peace
- More self-control
- Unaffected by emotions
- Life is chaotic and unpredictable. Accept it. Endure it.
- Focus on one task: what’s in front of you.
- The only thing you control in life? How you react to things.
Further Readings (For Wisdom And Life Lessons)
- Topic: Life
- 87 Deep Quotes That Will Make You Think
- 57 Life Goes On Quotes That Will Move You
- 10 Insanely Useful Stoic Exercises (dailystoic.com)
- 75 Words of Wisdom From The Best Minds (Ever)
- 115 Philosophy Quotes From The Best Philosophers
- 77 The Obstacle Is The Way Quotes (+Summary) By Ryan Holiday
- 89 Time Quotes (Profound, Important, Inspiring)
- 90 Freedom Quotes To Inspire Liberty And Independence
- 100 Decision Quotes For Better Decision Making (And Life)
- 77 Life Lessons Quotes (To Learn And Grow)
Hope you enjoyed these great stoic quotes and the perspective they gave you.
I’m sure you’re now better equipped to face the struggles of life.
Now, if you did enjoy the quotes, please share them with a friend today!
Did you know about stoicism? What’s your favorite stoic quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.
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