"Do not trouble about those who practice philosophy, whether they are good or bad; but examine the thing itself well and carefully. And if philosophy appears a bad thing to you, turn every man from it, not only your sons; but if it appears to you such as I think it to be, take courage, pursue it, and practice it, as the saying is, 'both you and your house."

"He who is not contended with what he has would not be contended with what he would like to have."

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."

"The true champion of justice, if he intends to survive even for a short time, must necessarily confine himself to private life and leave politics alone."

"Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of -- for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way to a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear."

"Beloved Pan and all other gods, who haunt this place, give me beauty in the inward soul, and may the outward and the inner man be at one."

"One who is injured ought not to return the injury, for on no account can it be right to do an injustice; and it is not right to return an injury, or to do evil to any man, however much we have suffered from him."

"From the deepest desires often comes the deadliest hate."

"If you want to be a good saddler, saddle the worst horse; for if you can tame one, you can tame all."

"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down."

"Envy is the ulcer of the soul."

"The misuse of language induces evil in the soul"