We Should Not Use Philosophy Like A Herbal Remedy, To Be Discarded When We're Through. Rather, We Must

“We should not use philosophy like a herbal remedy, to be discarded when we're through. Rather, we must allow philosophy to remain with us, continually guarding our judgements throughout life, forming part of our daily regimen, like eating a nutritious diet or taking physical exercise.”

—Musonius Rufus

“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.”

—Musonius Rufus

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”

—Aristotle

“Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.”

—Seneca

“And this, according to Musonius, should be one of the primary objectives of philosophy: to reveal to us our shortcomings so we can overcome them and thereby live a good life.”

—Musonius Rufus

“Philosophy teaches that we should be above pleasure and greed. It teaches that we should love frugality and avoid extravagance. It accustoms us to be modest and to control our tongue. It brings about discipline, order, decorum, and on the whole fitting behavior in action and in habit. If these things are present in a human being, they make him dignified and self-controlled.”

—Musonius Rufus