Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Nor do I regret that I have lived, since I have so lived that I think I was not born in vain, and I quit life as if it were an inn, not a home.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a sense of fulfillment in life and a perspective of viewing life as a temporary stop rather than a permanent state.
In this quote, Cicero expresses his contentment with his life, suggesting that he does not regret living it because he feels he made a meaningful existence. He compares life to an inn, a transient place one temporarily occupies, indicating a belief that life is fleeting and that he has made the most of his time while knowing it is not meant to be permanent.
Themes
LifeMeaningFulfillmentTemporaryPerspective
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to inspire students to live fully and without regrets.
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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Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
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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.
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