"If evil be spoken of you and it be true, correct yourself, if it be a lie, laugh at it"
- Epictetus
About this Quote
This quote by Epictetus encourages us to take obligation for our actions and to not take criticism too seriously. If somebody speaks ill of us and it holds true, we ought to make the effort to reflect on our habits and fix ourselves. If the criticism is incorrect, we must not take it to heart and rather laugh it off. This quote is a tip that we must not take ourselves too seriously and that we should not be too difficult on ourselves when we make errors. It is important to take criticism constructively and to gain from our errors. We ought to likewise keep in mind that not all criticism stands which we should not take it too seriously. This quote encourages us to take responsibility for our actions and to not take criticism too seriously.
"The law condemns and punishes only actions within certain definite and narrow limits; it thereby justifies, in a way, all similar actions that lie outside those limits"