Remember, it is not enough to be hit or insulted to be harmed, you must believe that you are being harmed. If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation. Which is why it is essential that we not respond impulsively to impressions; take a moment before reacting, and you will find it easier to maintain control. Epictetus
About This Quote

The subject of this quote, is to show that if we have a strong mind, we have the power to control our emotions and reactions. If someone insults us, we should not react impulsively as this will harm us as well as them. When we believe that we are being insulted, then we cannot think clearly and will give the impression that they were right.

Source: The Art Of Living: The Classical Manual On Virtue, Happiness And Effectiveness

Some Similar Quotes
  1. If you truly want to be respected by people you love, you must prove to them that you can survive without them. - Michael Bassey Johnson
  2. Never respond to an angry person with a fiery comeback, even if he deserves it... Don't allow his anger to become your anger. - Bohdi Sanders
  3. One can be the master of what one does, but never of what one feels. - Gustave Flaubert
  4. I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself. - Robert E. Lee
  5. Remember, it is not enough to be hit or insulted to be harmed, you must believe that you are being harmed. If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation. Which is why it is essential that we not... - Epictetus
More Quotes By Epictetus
  1. Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.
  2. No man is free who is not master of himself.
  3. If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, "He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.
  4. Don't explain your philosophy. Embody it.
  5. Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to...
Related Topics