"No greater thing 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."

Time

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on time by Epictetus resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in time is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Epictetus

Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born into slavery at Hierapolis, Phrygia and lived in Rome until his banishment, after which he spent the rest of his life in Nicopolis in northwestern Greece.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Epictetus

"It is a subtle truth that every season of life has its own unique blossom, if only we take care to notice — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests."

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"Nothing is in reality either pleasant or unpleasant by nature; but all things become so through habit."

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"It is a radiant truth that courage is not the absence of trembling, but the decision to step forward regardless — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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More about Time

"Time is the most impartial judge; it reveals all pretenses and rewards all patience. This remains the cornerstone of personal mastery — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"No idea is so outlandish that it should not be considered with a searching but at the same time a steady eye."

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