Of practical wisdom these are the three fruits: to deliberate well, to speak to the point, to do what is right.

There are two forms of knowledge, one genuine, one obscure. To the obscure belong all of the following: sight, hearing, smell, taste, feeling. The other form is the genuine, and is quite distinct from this. [And then distinguishing the genuine from the obscure, he continues:] Whenever the obscure [way of knowing] has reached the minimum sensibile of hearing, smell, taste, and touch, and when the investigation must be carried farther into that which is still finer, then arises the genuine way of knowing, which has a finer organ of thought.

In fact we do not know anything infallibly, but only that which changes according to the condition of our body and of the [influences] that reach and impinge upon it.

Verily we know nothing. Truth is buried deep.

Now, that we do not really know of what sort each thing is, or is not, has often been shown.

He who intends to enjoy life should not be busy about many things, and in what he does should not undertake what exceeds his natural capacity. On the contrary, he should have himself so in hand that even when fortune comes his way, and is apparently ready to lead him on to higher things, he should put her aside and not o'erreach his powers. For a being of moderate size is safer than one that bulks too big.

If any one hearken with understanding to these sayings of mine many a deed worthy of a good man shall he perform and many a foolish deed be spared.

If one choose the goods of the soul, he chooses the diviner portion; if the goods of the body, the merely mortal.

'Tis well to restrain the wicked, and in any case not to join him in his wrong-doing.

'Tis not in strength of body nor in gold that men find happiness, but in uprightness and in fulness of understanding.

Not from fear but from a sense of duty refrain from your sins.

Repentance for one's evil deeds is the safeguard of life.

He who does wrong is more unhappy than he who suffers wrong.

'Tis a grievous thing to be subject to an inferior.

And yet it will be obvious that it is difficult to really know of what sort each thing is.

Strength and beauty are the blessings of youth; temperance, however, is the flower of old age.

Strength of body is nobility in beasts of burden, strength of character is nobility in men.

Sweet exists by convention, bitter by convention, colour by convention; atoms and Void [alone] exist in reality.

By convention sweet is sweet, bitter is bitter, hot is hot, cold is cold, color is color; but in truth there are only atoms and the void.

We know nothing accurately in reality, but only as it changes according to the bodily condition, and the constitution of those things that flow upon the body and impinge upon it.

Coition is a slight attack of apoplexy. For man gushes forth from man, and is separated by being torn apart with a kind of blow.

Man is a universe in little.

Good breeding in cattle depends on physical health, but in men on a well-formed character.

I would rather discover one cause than gain the kingdom of Persia.

Men have fashioned an image of Chance as an excuse for their own stupidity. For Chance rarely conflicts with intelligence, and most things in life can be set in order by an intelligent sharpsightedness.

In a shared fish, there are no bones.