Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.
Epictetus (c. 50–135) was born a slave in Phrygia and spent part of his life enslaved in Rome before being freed and founding his own school of philosophy. He wrote nothing down; what survives was recorded by his student Arrian. His teaching reduces to one distinction — between what is in our power and what is not.
About this theme: Wisdom
In the Western tradition wisdom is almost always defined by what it is not. Socrates is famous for claiming to know that he knew nothing; that was not modesty but method. Knowledge is a set of facts, wisdom is knowing what to do with them — and, more often, knowing when there are not enough of them.
More by Epictetus
- It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
- First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
- No man is free who is not master of himself.
- He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
- Only the educated are free.
More on Wisdom
- Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small.— Lao Tzu
- An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.— Benjamin Franklin
- Talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see.— Arthur Schopenhauer
- He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.— Lao Tzu
- Do not weep; do not wax indignant. Understand.— Baruch Spinoza