“The Stoics, as we have seen, thought tranquility was worth pursuing, and the tranquility they sought, it will be remembered, is a psychological state in which we experience few negative emotions, such as anxiety, grief, and fear, but an abundance… — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“Pre-Socratic philosophy begins ... with the discovery of Nature; Socratic philosophy begins with the discovery of man's soul."3” — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“According to Seneca, “A man is as wretched as he has convinced himself that he is.” He therefore recommends that we “do away with… — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“For the Stoics, however, the near impossibility of becoming a sage is not a problem. They talk about sages primarily so they will have… — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“Indeed, pursuing pleasure, Seneca warns, is like pursuing a wild beast: On being captured, it can turn on us and tear us to pieces.… — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“Your primary desire, says Epictetus, should be your desire not to be frustrated by forming desires you won’t be able to fulfill.” — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“reason tends to be the servant rather than the master of desire.” — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“Whenever you undertake an activity in which public failure is a possibility, you are likely to experience butterflies in your stomach. I mentioned above… — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“They warn us to be careful in choosing our associates; other people, after all, have the power to shatter our tranquility—if we let them.” — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“Stoic tranquility was a psychological state marked by the absence of negative emotions, such as grief, anger, and anxiety, and the presence of positive… — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
“Before Socrates, philosophers were primarily interested in explaining the world around them and the phenomena of that world—in doing what we would now call… — William B. Irvine Copy Share Image
