Say to yourself each time, 'He did what he believed was right.' - Epictetus

Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of things. Thus death is nothing terrible, else it would have appeared so to Socrates. But the terror consists in our notion of death, that it is terrible. When, therefore, we are hindered, or disturbed, or grieved let us never impute it to others, but to ourselves; that is, to our own views. It is the action of an uninstructed person to reproach others for his own misfortunes; of one entering upon instruction, to reproach himself; and of one perfectly instructed, to reproach neither others or himself.

لا تقل أبدًا إني فيلسوف، ولا تكثر الحديث بين الجُهَّال عن نظرياتك، بل بيِّنها بالأفعال. فإذا كنت في وليمة فلا تقل كيف ينبغي الأكل بل كُل كما ينبغي.
وإذا دار أي حديث بين الجهَّال حول أي نظرياتٍ فلسفية فالزم الصمت دائمًا؛ فثَمة خطرٌ كبيرٌ بأن تقيء في الحال ما لم تهضمه.
ذلك أنه حتى الخِراف لا تقيء عشبها لكي تُريَ الرعاةَ كم أكلَت، بل عندما تهضم الكلأ داخلها فإنها تُخرِجه صوفًا ولبنًا.

Not in our power are all the elements which constitute our environment, such as wealth, health, reputation, social prestige, power, the lives of those we love, and death. In our power are our thinking, our intentions, our desires, our decisions. These make it possible for us to control ourselves and to make of ourselves elements and parts of the universe of nature. This knowledge of ourselves makes us free in a world of dependencies. This superiority of our powers enables us to live in conformity with nature.