--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tranquility can’t be grasped except by…" description: "\"“Tranquility can’t be grasped except by those who have reached an unwavering and firm power of judgment—the rest constantly fall and rise in their deci..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/ryan-holiday-514_accepting-things_tranquility-can-t-be-grasped-except-by-t_863792.jpg" --- # Tranquility can’t be grasped except by those who have… ![“Tranquility can’t be grasped except by those who have reached an unwavering and firm power of judgment—the rest constantly fall and rise in their decisions, wavering in a state of alternately rejecting and accepting things. What is the cause of this back and forth? It’s because nothing is clear…” quote by Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/ryan-holiday-514_accepting-things_tranquility-can-t-be-grasped-except-by-t_863792.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/ryan-holiday-514_accepting-things_tranquility-can-t-be-grasped-except-by-t_863792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/ryan-holiday-514_accepting-things_tranquility-can-t-be-grasped-except-by-t_863792.jpg) > ““Tranquility can’t be grasped except by those who have reached an unwavering and firm power of judgment—the rest constantly fall and rise in their decisions, wavering in a state of alternately rejecting and accepting things. What is the cause of this back and forth? It’s because nothing is clear and they rely on the most uncertain guide—common opinion.” —SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 95.57b–58a”” [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A steady, firm judgment is needed to achieve true tranquility; without it, people swing between acceptance and rejection, guided only by unreliable popular opinion. **In simple terms:** Clear judgment brings peace; indecision leads to turmoil. Key Takeaway Cultivate firm judgment to avoid being swayed by opinions. Themes self‑control philosophy inner peace Mood thoughtful calm inquisitive Type philosophical advice reflective When to use this quote - making decisions - conflict resolution - personal growth - leadership - media consumption Key Concepts Stoicism critical thinking epistemic humility Questions to Reflect On - How can you strengthen your judgment in daily choices? - When might following popular opinion be beneficial? A Different Perspective Reliance on common opinion can be useful for social cohesion, but may suppress individual insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) ## Related quotes > [With reason, then, the common opinion of mankind, little affected by the few dissentients who have contended for the opposite view, has found in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/with-reason-then-the-common-opinion-of-mankind-little-affected-by-the/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [Every opinion which embodies somewhat of the portion of truth which the common opinion omits, ought to be considered precious, with whatever amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/every-opinion-which-embodies-somewhat-of-the-portion-of-truth-which/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Letting go isnt giving up its accepting some things arent meant to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/letting-go-isnt-giving-up-its-accepting-some-things-arent-meant-to-be/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [“That was what maturity was: accepting things. The more things you accepted, the more mature you were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/that-was-what-maturity-was-accepting-things-the-more-things-you/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [I don't like accepting things at face value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/i-don-t-like-accepting-things-at-face-value/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [My life has been extremely complicated. Not by choice at the beginning at all, but later on, I had become used to complication and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benoit-mandelbrot/my-life-has-been-extremely-complicated-not-by-choice-at-the-beginning/) [Benoit Mandelbrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benoit-mandelbrot/) > [I believe that society needs to be more open and accepting of things that are seen as 'different.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-mua/i-believe-that-society-needs-to-be-more-open-and-accepting-of-things/) [Manny MUA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-mua/) > [Sometimes change means accepting things about ourselves that we'd rather not face up to. The truth hurts, but then it works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-change-means-accepting-things-about-ourselves-that-we-d/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/do-not-believe-in-anything-simply-because-you-have-heard-it-but-after/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [That's gotta be one of the principles behind reality. Accepting things that are hard to comprehend, and leaving them that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-s-gotta-be-one-of-the-principles-behind-reality-accepting-things/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Sometimes you have to give up on someone in order to respect yourself rather than keep accepting things and words you don't really deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/sometimes-you-have-to-give-up-on-someone-in-order-to-respect-yourself/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [It makes me hate accepting things that are probable when they are held up before me as infallibly true. I prefer these words which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/it-makes-me-hate-accepting-things-that-are-probable-when-they-are/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Life - It's all around the person with whom we smile or for the person we shed our tears, Life is all about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-it-s-all-around-the-person-with-whom-we-smile-or-for-the-person/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Letting go doesn't mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that cannot be..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/letting-go-doesn-t-mean-giving-up-but-rather-accepting-that-there-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Start accepting things when they are less than perfect. I believe that one of the biggest challenges for people, including myself, who want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markesa-yeager/start-accepting-things-when-they-are-less-than-perfect-i-believe-that/) [Markesa Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markesa-yeager/) ## More by Ryan Holiday > [“If we can focus on making clear what parts of our day are within our control and what parts are not, we will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/if-we-can-focus-on-making-clear-what-parts-of-our-day-are-within-our/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“The areas of great interest to the Stoics all make an appearance here: virtue, mortality, emotions, self-awareness, fortitude, right action, problem solving, acceptance, mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-areas-of-great-interest-to-the-stoics-all-make-an-appearance-here/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“With a business, we take most failures less personally and understand they’re part of the process.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/with-a-business-we-take-most-failures-less-personally-and-understand/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“Many creatives want to be just the creator, or only “the idea guy.” They like that because it’s sexy and because that’s what comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/many-creatives-want-to-be-just-the-creator-or-only-the-idea-guy-they/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [Pretty much everyone's career starts the same way: with grunt work. Not just the cliched fetching of coffee, but other lowly tasks: taking notes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/pretty-much-everyone-s-career-starts-the-same-way-with-grunt-work-not/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [The greats - they protect their sleep because it's where the best work comes from. They say no to things. They turn in when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-greats-they-protect-their-sleep-because-it-s-where-the-best-work/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“Where little danger is apprehended, the more the enemy will be unprepared and consequently there is the fairest prospect of success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/where-little-danger-is-apprehended-the-more-the-enemy-will-be/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [We often learn the hard way that our world is ruled by external factors. We don't always get what is rightfully ours, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/we-often-learn-the-hard-way-that-our-world-is-ruled-by-external/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“From Rusticus … I learned to read carefully and not be satisfied with a rough understanding of the whole, and not to agree too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/from-rusticus-i-learned-to-read-carefully-and-not-be-satisfied-with-a/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [I wholeheartedly agree that many media 'standards' can feel disingenuous or, in fact, be a cover for less-than-honest behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/i-wholeheartedly-agree-that-many-media-standards-can-feel/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“Remember: even what we get for free has a cost, if only in what we pay to store it—in our garages and in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/remember-even-what-we-get-for-free-has-a-cost-if-only-in-what-we-pay/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [It's your job to find a release and an outlet for the stress and the feelings. Never forget: the crazy stays at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/it-s-your-job-to-find-a-release-and-an-outlet-for-the-stress-and-the/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [Where the head goes, the body follows. Perception precedes action. Right action follows the right perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/where-the-head-goes-the-body-follows-perception-precedes-action-right/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [The risks of speaking extemporaneously are apparent the first time you wing it and promptly put your foot in your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-risks-of-speaking-extemporaneously-are-apparent-the-first-time/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“The tools of the Internet and social media have made it possible to track, test, iterate, and improve marketing to the point where these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-tools-of-the-internet-and-social-media-have-made-it-possible-to/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) [Explore all 504 Ryan Holiday quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) ## More Accepting things quotes > [Start accepting things when they are less than perfect. I believe that one of the biggest challenges for people, including myself, who want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markesa-yeager/start-accepting-things-when-they-are-less-than-perfect-i-believe-that/) [Markesa Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markesa-yeager/) > [Letting go doesn't mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that cannot be..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/letting-go-doesn-t-mean-giving-up-but-rather-accepting-that-there-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life - It's all around the person with whom we smile or for the person we shed our tears, Life is all about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-it-s-all-around-the-person-with-whom-we-smile-or-for-the-person/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [It makes me hate accepting things that are probable when they are held up before me as infallibly true. I prefer these words which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/it-makes-me-hate-accepting-things-that-are-probable-when-they-are/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Sometimes you have to give up on someone in order to respect yourself rather than keep accepting things and words you don't really deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/sometimes-you-have-to-give-up-on-someone-in-order-to-respect-yourself/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [That's gotta be one of the principles behind reality. Accepting things that are hard to comprehend, and leaving them that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-s-gotta-be-one-of-the-principles-behind-reality-accepting-things/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/do-not-believe-in-anything-simply-because-you-have-heard-it-but-after/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Sometimes change means accepting things about ourselves that we'd rather not face up to. The truth hurts, but then it works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-change-means-accepting-things-about-ourselves-that-we-d/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe that society needs to be more open and accepting of things that are seen as 'different.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-mua/i-believe-that-society-needs-to-be-more-open-and-accepting-of-things/) [Manny MUA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-mua/) > [My life has been extremely complicated. Not by choice at the beginning at all, but later on, I had become used to complication and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benoit-mandelbrot/my-life-has-been-extremely-complicated-not-by-choice-at-the-beginning/) [Benoit Mandelbrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benoit-mandelbrot/) > [I don't like accepting things at face value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/i-don-t-like-accepting-things-at-face-value/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [“That was what maturity was: accepting things. The more things you accepted, the more mature you were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/that-was-what-maturity-was-accepting-things-the-more-things-you/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [Letting go isnt giving up its accepting some things arent meant to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/letting-go-isnt-giving-up-its-accepting-some-things-arent-meant-to-be/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [Ignore reality, there's nothing you can do about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-imbruglia/ignore-reality-there-s-nothing-you-can-do-about-it/) [Natalie Imbruglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-imbruglia/) > [The secret to loving this life is accepting things for what they are, after that there is no conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-secret-to-loving-this-life-is-accepting-things-for-what-they-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 54 Accepting things quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Tranquility can’t be grasped except by those who have reached an unwavering and firm power of judgment—the rest constantly fall and rise in their decisions, wavering in a state of alternately rejecting and accepting things. 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