20 ZENO QUOTES TO ASSIST YOU WITH REASONING
Zeno is the Godfather of Stoicism. Zeno was born in 335BC in Kition, Cyprus. To Μνασέας ὁ Πατρεύς a greek historian of the late 3rd century BC who also sold rare dye that was prized by the wealthy and royalty as they would stain their clothes to show that they were of higher status. This is where the wealth of Zeno's family originally came from, commerce of dye - a popular elite commodity of ancient times.
On a trip to Athens to expand his family business, Zeno found himself in a shipwreck that lost the majority, if not all, of his family fortune. Most people would have been devastated by this, can you imagine... losing your family fortune? at a time when there was no insurance and no way to get it back. This would break most people but not Zeno. Zeno created Stoicism from this Misfortune.
If you would like to know the biography of Zeno and the beginning of Stoicism you can click here.
Below are 20 quotes that I've hand-picked that have assisted me in being calm, understanding, and finding peace of mind.
"We have two ears and one mouth so we should listen more than we say."
"Man conquers the world by conquering himself."
"A Bad Feeling is a commotion of the mind repugnant to reason, and against nature."
"Extravagance is its own destroyer."
"No evil is honorable: but death is honorable; therefore death is not evil."
"That which exercises reason is more excellent than that which does not exercise reason; there is nothing more excellent than the universe, therefore the universe exercises reason."
"It is in virtue that happiness consists, for virtue is the state of mind which tends to make the whole of life harmonious."
"Well-being is attained little by little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself."
"Love is a god, who cooperates in securing the safety of the city."
"Better to trip with feet than with the tongue."
"Steel your sensibilities, so that life shall hurt you as little as possible."
"Fate is the endless chain of causation, whereby things are; the reason or formula by which the world goes on."
"It is in virtue that happiness consists, for virtue is the state of mind which tends to make the whole of life harmonious."
"Follow where reason leads."
"Happiness is a good flow of life."
"By silence, i hear other men's imperfections and conceal my own."
"Man seems to be deficient in nothing so much as he is in time."
"All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature; the individual life is good when it is in harmony with nature."
"Fortune bids me to follow philosophy with fewer encumbrance."
"The goal of life is living in agreement with nature."