The condition and characteristic of an uninstructed person is this: he never expects from himself profit (advantage) nor harm, but from externals. The condition and characteristic of a philosopher is this: he expects all advantage and all harm from himself.

Epictetus
About This Quote

Among the most important things in life are our opinions. We can say—and many people do—that what happens to us is not our fault, but rather the result of someone else’s faults. This, of course, is nonsense. The condition and characteristic of an uninstructed person is this: he never expects from himself profit (advantage) nor harm, but from externals. The condition and characteristic of a philosopher is this: he expects all advantage and all harm from himself.

Source: Enchiridion And Selections From The Discourses

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