Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the living, and her eyes they blind.
EpictetusRead
Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig. I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Great achievements require time and patience to develop fully, just like fruit grows over time.
This quote emphasizes the importance of patience and the natural progression of growth in any endeavor. Epictetus uses the metaphor of a fig and grapes to illustrate that nothing significant happens overnight; rather, there is a process of blossoming, bearing fruit, and ripening that must be respected before one can expect to achieve greatness.
Themes
PatienceGrowthTimeGreatnessProcess
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to encourage students, one might say this quote to remind them of the journey ahead.
More from Epictetus
All quotes βLearn to distinguish what you can and can't control. Within our control are our own opinions, aspirations, desires and the things that repel us. They are directly subject to our influence.
EpictetusRead
Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen.
EpictetusRead
Nothing truly stops you. Nothing truly holds you back. For your own will is always within your control. Sickness may challenge your body. But are you merely your body? Lameness may impede your legs. But you are not merely your legs. Your will is bigger than your legs. Your will needn't be affected by an incident unless you let it.
EpictetusRead
The people have a right to the truth as they have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
EpictetusRead
Practice yourself, for heaven's sake, in little things, and thence proceed to greater.
EpictetusRead
Similar quotes
We have this myth that extroverts are better salespeople. As a result, extroverts are more likely to enter sales; extroverts are more likely to get promoted in sales jobs. But if you look at the correlation between extroversion and actual sales performance - that is, how many times the cash register actually rings - the correlation's almost zero.
Daniel H. PinkRead
Half-heartedness doesn't reach into majesty. You set out to find God, but then you keep stopping for long periods at meanspirited roadhouses.
RumiRead
The Fremen were supreme in that quality the ancients called "spannungsbogen" -- which is the self-imposed delay between desire for a thing and the act of reaching out to grasp that thing.
Frank HerbertRead
...grief can derange even the strongest and most disciplined of minds.
George R. R. MartinRead
Commit yourself to deeper awareness. Be generous of spirit. Embrace every day as a new world. Let the timeless be in charge of time.
Deepak ChopraRead
Your capacity to keep your vow will depend on the purity of your life.
Mahatma GandhiRead