Quotes
Quotes about Will
Have in readiness this saying of Solon, "But we will not give up our virtue in exchange for their wealth."
"I will show," said Agesilaus, "that it is not the places that grace men, but men the places."
As those persons who despair of ever being rich make little account of small expenses, thinking that little added to a little will never make any great sum.
I am whatever was, or is, or will be; and my veil no mortal ever took up.
O slavish man! will you not bear with your own brother, who has God for his Father, as being a son from the same stock, and of the same high descent? But if you chance to be placed in some superior station, will you presently set yourself up for a tyrant?
If we are not stupid or insincere when we say that the good or ill of man lies within his own will, and that all beside is nothing to us, why are we still troubled?
The essence of good and evil is a certain disposition of the will.
Shall I show you the muscular training of a philosopher? "What muscles are those?"--A will undisappointed; evils avoided; powers daily exercised; careful resolutions; unerring decisions.
Two rules we should always have ready,--that there is nothing good or evil save in the will; and that we are not to lead events, but to follow them.
Be not unwilling in what thou doest, neither selfish nor unadvised nor obstinate; let not over-refinement deck out thy thought; be not wordy nor a busybody.
Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away.
If any man can convince me and bring home to me that I do not think or act aright, gladly will I change; for I search after truth, by which man never yet was harmed. But he is harmed who abideth on still in his deception and ignorance.
Think not disdainfully of death, but look on it with favour; for even death is one of the things that Nature wills.
He that dies in extreme old age will be reduced to the same state with him that is cut down untimely.
He who flees will fight again.
Ignorance plays the chief part among men, and the multitude of words; but opportunity will prevail.
Being asked whether it was better to marry or not, he replied, "Whichever you do, you will repent it."
Aristippus being asked what were the most necessary things for well-born boys to learn, said, "Those things which they will put in practice when they become men."
Arcesilaus had a peculiar habit while conversing of using the expression, "My opinion is," and "So and so will not agree to this."
Very late in life, when he was studying geometry, some one said to Lacydes, "Is it then a time for you to be learning now?" "If it is not," he replied, "when will it be?"
"Bury me on my face," said Diogenes; and when he was asked why, he replied, "Because in a little while everything will be turned upside down."
Xenophanes speaks thus:--
And no man knows distinctly anything,
And no man ever will.
Fortune is unstable, while our will is free.
He left a paper sealed up, wherein were found three articles as his last will: "I owe much; I have nothing; I give the rest to the poor."
We will take the good will for the deed.
