Quotes about Reflection

How foolish it is, then, to puff yourself up with pride or berate yourself with worry. Think of the boundless abyss of the past behind you and the infinite future stretching out ahead. From this perspective, how small are your achievements—and how petty your troubles.

So it is that we have more respect for what our neighbours will think of us than we have for ourselves.

Nothing is so productive of greatness of mind as the ability to examine systematically and truthfully each thing we encounter in life, and to see these things in such a way as to comprehend the nature of the Cosmos.

How plain does it appear that there is not another condition of life so well suited for philosophising as this in which thou now happenest to be.

He that knoweth not what the world is, knoweth not where he himself is. And he that knoweth not what the world was made for, cannot possibly know either what are the qualities, or what is the nature of the world.

When thou art offended with any man's shameless conduct, immediately ask thyself, Is it possible then that such men should not be in the world? It is not possible. Do not then require what is impossible. ... For at the same time that thou dost remind thyself that it is impossible that such kind of men should not exist, thou wilt become more kindly disposed towards every one individually.

You'll find that none of the people who make you lose your temper has done anything that might affect your mind for the worse; and outside of the mind there's nothing that is truly detrimental or harmful for you… After all, you even had the resources, in the form of your ability to think rationally, to appreciate that he was likely to commit that fault, yet you forgot it and are now surprised that he did exactly that.

Dig deep within yourself, for there is a fountain of goodness ever ready to flow if you will keep digging.

To accept it without arrogance, to let it go with indifference.

56. Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what's left and live it properly

All those people who came into the world with me and have already left it.

Your mind is your only strength; your reason is your only power.