6 Stoic Quotes on Courage & Confidence

  • "A bad man makes everything bad—even things which had come with the appearance of what is best; but the upright and honest man corrects the wrongs of Fortune, and softens hardship and bitterness because he knows how to endure them; he likewise accepts prosperity with appreciation and moderation, and stands up against trouble with steadiness and courage." — Seneca, Moral Letters 98

  • "Sometimes even to live is an act of courage." — Seneca, Moral Letters 78.2

  • "Our lack of confidence is not the result of difficulty. The difficulty comes from our lack of confidence." — Seneca, Moral Letters 104.26

  • "Faced with pain, you will discover the power of endurance. If you are insulted, you will discover patience. In time, you will grow to be confident that there is not a single impression that you will not have the moral means to tolerate." — Epictetus, Enchiridion 10

  • "The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity." — Seneca, On Providence 2.9

  • "Everyone approaches courageously a danger which he has prepared himself to meet long before, and withstands even hardships if he has previously practiced how to meet them. But, contrariwise, the unprepared are panic-stricken even at the most trifling things. We must see to it that nothing shall come upon us unforeseen." — Seneca, Moral Letters 107