Zeno of Citium was a Cypriot philosopher who lived during the Hellenistic period. The Stoic school of thought, which Zeno founded, was first taught in Athens in 300 BC. Stoicism, which was based on the Cynics’ moral teachings and placed a great emphasis on the peace and goodness of mind which could be attained through a life of virtue in harmony with nature.
From the Hellenistic to the Roman eras, it flourished as one of the great schools of thought and had revivals under the names of Neostoicism and Modern Stoicism.
Even today, the teachings of Zeno and the Stoic school of thought that he founded, have touched the lives of many people around the world and have helped them achieve a happier and more peaceful life.
Let’s take a look at some of the most enlightening and meaningful Zeno of Citium quotes to get your day started the right way.
35 Enlightening Zeno of Citium Quotes You Must Read
1. “We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.” ― Zeno of Citium
2. “Man conquers the world by conquering himself.” ― Zeno of Citium
3. “The goal of life is living in agreement with Nature.” ― Zeno of Citium
4. “if being is many, it must be both like and unlike, and this is impossible, for neither can the like be unlike, nor the unlike like” ― Zeno of Citium
5. “Well-being is attained little by little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself.” ― Zeno of Citium
6. “The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is that we may listen the more and talk the less.” ― Zeno of Citium
7. “When a dog is tied to a cart, if it wants to follow, it is pulled and follows, making its spontaneous act coincide with necessity. But if the dog does not follow, it will be compelled in any case. So, it is with men too: even if they don’t want to, they will be compelled to follow what is destined.” ― Zeno of Citium
8. “We have two ears and one mouth, therefore we should listen twice as much as we speak.” ― Zeno of Citium
9. “All the good are friends of one another.” ― Zeno of Citium
10. “A friend is our alter ego.” ― Zeno of Citium
11. “Nothing is more hostile to a firm grasp on knowledge than self-deception.” ― Zeno of Citium
12. “He would stretch his arm out in front and show his open palm…and he would point to his hand and say “this is perception”. then he would SLIGHTLY close his fingers…just a little bit…so now he looks like Zeno with arthritis…and he points to his hand NOW and says “This is assent” you know.. agreement or belief in something. then he closes his fist tight and points to it and says “This is Comprehension”. Then he takes his other hand and grabs his fist…holding it closed and says “This is Knowledge.” ― Zeno of Citium
13. “Better to trip with the feet than with the tongue.” ― Zeno of Citium
14. “The end may be defined as life in accordance with nature or, in other words, in accordance with our own human nature as well as that of the universe.” ― Zeno of Citium
15. “No matter whether you claim a slave by purchase or capture, the title is bad. They who claim to own their fellow-men, look down into the pit and forget the justice that should rule the world.” ― Zeno of Citium
16. “Steel your sensibilities, so that life shall hurt you as little as possible.” ― Zeno of Citium
17. “All things are parts of one single system, which is called nature; the individual life is good when it is in harmony with nature.” ― Zeno of Citium
18. “Fate is the endless chain of causation, whereby things are; the reason or formula by which the world goes on.” ― Zeno of Citium
19. “A bad feeling is a commotion of the mind repugnant to reason, and against nature.” ― Zeno of Citium
20. “Wellbeing is attained by little and little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself.” ― Zeno of Citium
21. “No evil is honorable: but death is honorable; therefore, death is not evil.” ― Zeno of Citium
22. “Happiness is a good flow of life.” ― Zeno of Citium
23. “That which exercises reason is more excellent than that which does not exercise reason; there is nothing more excellent than the universe, therefore the universe exercises reason.” ― Zeno of Citium
24. “Love is a God, who cooperates in securing the safety of the city.” ― Zeno of Citium
25. “Extravagance is its own destroyer.” ― Zeno of Citium
26. “Man seems to be deficient in nothing so much as he is in time.” ― Zeno of Citium
27. “By silence, I hear other men’s imperfections and conceal my own.” ― Zeno of Citium
28. “The avaricious man is like the barren, sandy ground of the desert, which sucks in all the rain and dews with greediness, but yields no fruitful herbs or plants for the benefit of others.” ― Zeno of Citium
29. “The voice is the flower of beauty.” ― Zeno of Citium
30. “No one entrusts a secret to a drunken man; but one will entrust a secret to a good man; therefore, the good man will not get drunk.” ― Zeno of Citium
31. “Seeing that the universe gives birth to beings that are animate and wise, should it not be considered animate and wise itself?” ― Zeno of Citium
32. “It is in virtue that happiness consists, for virtue is the state of mind which tends to make the whole of life harmonious.” ― Zeno of Citium
33. “Fortune bids me to follow philosophy with fewer encumbrance.” ― Zeno of Citium
34. “Follow where reason leads.” ― Zeno of Citium
35. “If you lay violent hands on me, you’ll have my body, but my mind will remain with Stilpo.” ― Zeno of Citium
Meet the Founder of Stoicism | ZENO OF CITIUM
Around 300 BC, Zeno of Citium founded the Stoic school of philosophy. He published a list of works on ethics, physics, logic, and other subjects, including his most famous work: Zeno’s Republic, which does sound quite similar to a dialogue authored by a philosopher named Plato.
Summary
The Zeno of Citium Quotes presented above offer a refreshing and illuminating take on some of the most vital elements of human life such as our behavior towards others, self-control, alcohol consumption and more.
These teachings allow the reader to effectively reflect upon their current lifestyle and restructure it in a way to achieve a more peaceful, happier, and meaningful life in which we can be of value and service to more than just ourselves.
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Image Credits
Paolo Monti, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
“Zeno of Citium bust 9368” by TheophileEscargot is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Rijksmuseum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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