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“The soul’s health is no more secure than the body’s; though we may seem safely aloof from the passions, we are no less in danger of being swept away by them, than we are of falling sick when we feel well.”

“It is the first sign that animal has become man when his actions are no longer directed to the procurement of momentary wellbeing but to enduring wellbeing, that man has thus become attuned to utility and purpose: it is then that the free domination of reason first breaks forth.”

“The foolishness of people who are surprised by anything that happens. Like travelers amazed at foreign customs.”

“Things have their seasons, and even certain kinds of eminence go in and out of style. But wisdom has an advantage: she is eternal. If this is not her century, many others will be.”

“To call someone wise, seems to me too much, and proper only for a god. To call him wisdom’s lover — a philosopher — or something similar would fit him better and be more seemly.”