Stoicism Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old stoicism quotes, stoicism sayings, and stoicism proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

A stoic is someone who transforms fear into prudence, pain into transformation, mistakes into initiation, and desire into undertaking. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
With patience and calm, persistence and stoicism, good handwriting and careful labeling, they would meet persecution, indignity, and hardship head-on. Michael Chabon
We love being mentally strong, but we hate situations that allow us to put our mental strength to good use. Mokokoma Mokhonoana
Let a man accept his destiny, No pity and no tears. Euripides
There will never come a time when I will be able to resist my emotions. Louise Erdrich
It is Stoicism that demands a closed universe, not the bible. Richard J. Foster
Seek not for events to happen as you wish but rather wish for events to happen as they do and your life will go smoothly. Epictetus
Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day. Markus Zusak
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. Viktor E. Frankl
He who despises life is his life's master. Pierre Corneille
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
We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own. Marcus Aurelius
If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. Marcus Aurelius
Life is such unutterable hell, solely because it is sometimes beautiful. If we could only be miserable all the time, if there could be no such things as love or beauty or faith or hope, if I could be absolutely certain that my love would never be returned: how much more simple life would be. One could plod through the Siberian salt mines of existence without being bothered about happiness. T. H. White
I've come to the point where I never feel the need to stop and evaluate whether or not I am happy. I'm just 'being', and without question, by default, it works. Criss Jami
You will never see me surrender, never see me cry, but you will often see me walk away. Turn around and just leave, without looking back. Charlotte Eriksson
As a political spouse, I've found that my stoicism often serves me well. Jill Biden
Stoicism is a philosophy designed for the masses, and if it has to be simplified a bit to reach the masses, so be it. Ryan Holiday
Stoicism is of no use to me whatsoever. What I'm a big believer in is talking about everything until you're blue in the face. David Shields
The safest way to try to get what you want is to try to deserve what you want. It's such a simple idea. It's the golden rule. You want to deliver to the world what you would buy if you were on the other end. Charlie Munger
In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists. Eric Hoffer
There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. William Shakespeare
A nation is born stoic and dies epicurean. Will Durant
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. Albert Einstein
Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear. George Addair
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. C. S. Lewis
Start by doing what's necessary; Then do what's possible; And suddenly you are doing the impossible. Francis of Assisi
It's not about perfect. It's about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that's when transformation happens. That's how change occurs. Jillian Michaels
Stoicism, understood properly, is a cure for a disease. The disease in question is the anxiety, fear, and various other negative emotions that plague humans and prevent them from experiencing a joyful existence. William B. Irvine
The goal of life is living in agreement with Nature. Zeno of Citium