Gaius Musonius Rufus

"Wealth is able to buy the pleasures of eating, drinking and other sensual pursuits-yet can never afford a cheerful spirit or freedom from sorrow."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"Husband and wife should come together to craft a shared life, procreating children, seeing all things as shared between them-with nothing withheld or private to one another-not even their bodies."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"The soul is trained for courage when we show patience under hardships."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"You will earn the respect of all if you begin by earning the respect of yourself. Don’t expect to encourage good deeds in people conscious of your own misdeeds."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"Train yourself to strive for giving, rather than receiving."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"In our control is the most beautiful and important thing, the thing because of which even the god himself is happy— namely, the proper use of our impressions. We must concern ourselves absolutely with the things that are under our control and entrust the things not in our control to the universe."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"If we were to measure what is good by how much pleasure it brings, nothing would be better than self-control- if we were to measure what is to be avoided by its pain, nothing would be more painful than lack of self-control."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"We will train both soul and body when we accustom ourselves to cold, heat, thirst, hunger, scarcity of food, hardness of bed, abstaining from pleasures, and enduring pains."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"It is not possible to live well today unless you treat it as your last day."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"In order to protect ourselves we must live like doctors and be continually treating ourselves with reason."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"What good are gilded rooms or precious stones-fitted on the floor, inlaid in the walls, carried from great distances at the greatest expense? These things are pointless and unnecessary-without them isn’t it possible to live healthy? Aren’t they the source of constant trouble? Don’t they cost vast sums of money that, through public and private charity, may have benefited many?"

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"The greatest thing in the world is self-sufficiency."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"Choose to die well while you can; wait too long, and it might become impossible to do so."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"Since every man dies, it is better to die with distinction than to live long."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"Being good is the same as being a philosopher. If you obey your father, you will follow the will of a man; if you choose the philosopher’s life, the will of the universe. It is plain, therefore, that your duty lies in the pursuit of philosophy."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"From good people you'll learn good, but if you mingle with the bad, you'll destroy such soul as you had."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"From good people you’ll learn good, but if you mingle with the bad you’ll destroy such soul as you had."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"For mankind, evil is injustice and cruelty and indifference to a neighbour’s trouble, while virtue is brotherly love and goodness and justice and beneficence and concern for the welfare of your neighbour-with."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus

"Willingly accept the inevitable, and you will lead a life in harmony with the universe."

- Gaius Musonius Rufus