Gaius Musonius Rufus was a Roman Stoic philosopher of the 1st century AD. He taught philosophy in Rome during the reign of Nero. A collection of extracts from his lectures still survives. He is also remembered for being the teacher of Epictetus. He is known as “Roman socrates”.
Read below some of the Quotes of Gaius Rufus.
Wealth is able to buy the pleasures of eating, drinking and other sensual pursuits-yet can never afford a cheerful spirit or freedom from sorrow.
If you accomplish something good with hard work, the labor passes quickly, but the good endures; if you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure, the pleasure passes quickly, but the shame endures.
We begin to lose our hesitation to do immoral things when we lose our hesitation to speak of them.
Since every man dies, it is better to die with distinction than to live long.
Humanity must seek what is NOT simple and obvious using the simple and obvious.
The human being is born with an inclination toward virtue.
You will earn the respect of all if you begin by earning the respect of yourself. Don’t expect to encourage good deeds in people conscious of your own misdeeds.
Just as there is no use in medical study unless it leads to the health of the human body, so there is no use to a philosophical doctrine unless it leads to the virtue of the human soul.
From good people you’ll learn good, but if you mingle with the bad you’ll destroy such soul as you had.
