“Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion.”

Everywhere man blames nature and fate yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passion, his mistakes and his weaknesses.

One should practice much sense, not much learning.

Good breeding in cattle depends on physical health, but in men on a well-formed character.

Nature and education are somewhat similar. The latter transforms man, and in so doing creates a second nature.

The brave man is not only he who overcomes the enemy, but he who is stronger than pleasures.

The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world.

Moderation multiplies pleasures, and increases pleasure.

In a shared fish, there are no bones.

Medicine heals diseases of the body, wisdom frees the soul from passions.

Hope of ill gain is the beginning of loss.

No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge.

Happiness does not reside in strength or money; it lies in rightness and many-sidedness.

My enemy is not the man who wrongs me, but the man who means to wrong me.

Immoderate desire is the mark of a child, not a man.

Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.

If your desires are not great, a little will seem much to you; for small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth.