30 Stoic Quotes About Living a Good Life: From Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus & Diogenes)
Discover 30 powerful Stoic quotes about living a good life from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, Diogenes, and others. Let ancient wisdom guide your modern mindset.
STOICISM
What does it mean to live a good life?
For the Stoics—ancient philosophers who thrived on discipline, reason, and virtue—the answer wasn't fame, wealth, or pleasure. It was living in harmony with nature, accepting what we cannot control, and striving to act with integrity and purpose.
In this article, we’ve gathered 30 timeless Stoic quotes that reveal how to live a life worth living. These words from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, Diogenes, and others aren’t just ancient wisdom—they’re practical tools for a resilient, meaningful existence.
30 Timeless Stoic Quotes on Living a Good Life
From Marcus Aurelius
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
– Meditations“Don’t let your imagination be crushed by life as a whole. Don’t try to picture everything bad that could possibly happen. Stick with the situation at hand, and ask, “Why is this so unbearable? Why can’t I endure it?” You’ll be embarrassed to answer.”
“To stand up straight—not straightened.”
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
“People find pleasure in different ways. I find it in keeping my mind clear. In not turning away from people or the things that happen to them. In accepting and welcoming everything I see. In treating each thing as it deserves.”
“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
From Seneca
“As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.”
– On the Shortness of Life“Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.”
“He who is brave is free.”
“A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.”
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”
“True happiness is... to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.”
From Epictetus
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
– The Enchiridion“Seek not for events to happen as you wish, but wish events to happen as they do, and your life will flow smoothly.”
“No man is free who is not master of himself.”
“Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.”
“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.”
“People are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them.”
From Diogenes the Cynic
“He has the most who is most content with the least.”
“I threw away my cup when I saw a child drinking from his hands.”
“To live is not to breathe, it is to act.”
“The foundation of every state is the education of its youth—but start by educating yourself.”
“I am looking for an honest man.” (said while walking with a lantern in daylight)
“It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little.”
From Other Stoic or Cynic Thinkers
“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” – Plutarch
“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” – Epictetus
“Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.” – Marcus Aurelius
“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” – Epictetus
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus
“To enjoy the things we ought and to hate the things we ought has the greatest bearing on excellence of character.” – Aristotle
Final Thoughts
The Stoics weren’t just theorists—they were doers. These 30 quotes are a reminder that a good life isn’t something to find—it's something to build, moment by moment, thought by thought.
Let these ancient voices echo into your daily mindset. Read them. Reflect on them. Live them.