Hellenistic Philosophy Introductory

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

Ancient Collections of Maxims 39


56-57. The wise man feels no more pain when he is tortured <than
when his friend is tortured, and will die on his behalf; for if he betrays>
his friend, his entire life will be confounded and utterly upset because
of a lack of confidence.


  1. They must free themselves from the prison of general education
    and politics.

  2. The stomach is not insatiable, as the many say, but rather the
    opinion that the stomach requires an unlimited amount of filling is false.

  3. Everyone leaves life as though he had just been born.

  4. The sight of one's neighbours is most beautiful if the first meeting
    brings concord or [at least] produces a serious commitment to this.

  5. For if parents are justifiably angered at their children, it is surely
    pointless to resist and not ask to be forgiven; but if [their anger] is not
    justifiable but somewhat irrational, it is ridiculous for someone with
    irrationality in his heart to appeal to someone set against appeals and not
    to seek in a spirit of good will to win him over by other means.

  6. There is also a proper measure for parsimony, and he who does
    not reason it out is just as badly off as he who goes wrong by total neglect
    of limits.

  7. Praise from other men must come of its own accord; and we must
    be concerned with healing ourselves.

  8. It is pointless to ask from the gods what one is fully able to supply
    for oneself.

  9. Let us share our friends' suffering not with laments but with
    thoughtful concern.

  10. A free life cannot acquire great wealth, because the task is not easy
    without slavery to the mob or those in power; rather, it already possesses
    everything in constant abundance. And if it does somehow achieve great
    wealth, one could easily share this out in order to obtain the good will
    of one's neighbours.

  11. Nothing is enough to someone for whom enough is little.

  12. The ingratitude of the soul makes an animal greedy for unlimited
    variation in its life-style.

  13. Let nothing be done in your life which will cause you to fear if it
    is discovered by your neighbour.

  14. One should bring this question to bear on all one's desires: what
    will happen to me if what is sought by desire is achieved, and what will
    happen if it is not?

  15. Even some bodily pains are worthwhile for fending off others
    like them.

  16. In a joint philosophical investigation he who is defeated comes out
    ahead in so far as he has learned something new.

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