Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Hours and days and months and years go by; the past returns no more, and what is to be we cannot know; but whatever the time gives us in which we live, we should therefore be content.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We should find contentment in the present moment, as the past is gone and the future is uncertain.
This quote emphasizes the importance of living in the present and being content with the time we have. Cicero reflects on the transient nature of time, reminding us that while we cannot change the past or predict the future, we can choose to embrace the present and find satisfaction in it. The essence of life is to appreciate what is currently available to us, rather than lamenting what has passed or worrying about what is yet to come.
Themes
ContentmentPresentTimeLifeAppreciation
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about mindfulness and living in the moment.
More from Marcus Tullius Cicero
All quotes →Those wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
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Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
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No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
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Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
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