Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the living, and her eyes they blind.
EpictetusRead
Practice yourself, for heaven's sake, in little things, and thence proceed to greater.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Focus on mastering small tasks to build the foundation for larger achievements.
Epictetus emphasizes the importance of practicing small, daily tasks as a means to cultivate skills and discipline. By honing our abilities in minor details, we prepare ourselves for greater responsibilities and challenges in life. This approach advocates for gradual progression and the notion that mastery comes through consistent effort, no matter how small the initial steps may seem.
Themes
PracticeSmall ThingsDisciplineGrowthMastery
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal development.
More from Epictetus
All quotes βLearn to distinguish what you can and can't control. Within our control are our own opinions, aspirations, desires and the things that repel us. They are directly subject to our influence.
EpictetusRead
Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen.
EpictetusRead
Nothing truly stops you. Nothing truly holds you back. For your own will is always within your control. Sickness may challenge your body. But are you merely your body? Lameness may impede your legs. But you are not merely your legs. Your will is bigger than your legs. Your will needn't be affected by an incident unless you let it.
EpictetusRead
The people have a right to the truth as they have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
EpictetusRead
Attach yourself to what is spiritually superior, regardless of what other people think or do. Hold to your true aspirations no matter what is going on around you.
EpictetusRead
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If we shall take the good we find, asking no questions, we shall have heaping measures.
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Words, for all they were flimsy and invisible, had great strength. They could be fortified as a castle wall and sharp as a foil. They could bite, slap, shock, wound. But unlike deeds, words couldn't really help you. No promise ever rescued a person; it was the carrying-through of it that brought about salvation.
Jodi PicoultRead
Humility responds to God's will-to the fear of His judgments and to the needs of those around us. To the proud, the applause of the world rings in their ears; to the humble, the applause of heaven warms their hearts. Someone has said, "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man."
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Faith...is letting go and trusting oneself to the unknown.
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The question is not what you look at β but how you look & whether you see.
Henry David ThoreauRead