Did you know that gratitude is actually considered to be one of the most important, positive emotions that the ancient Stoics believed human beings should develop? In fact, it’s such an important emotion that it’s even been said that the ultimate goal of Stoicism to to experience a feeling of gratitude when we come to the end of our lives.
Stoic quotes on gratitude are numerous, specifically because it’s so important to the philosophy. It’s easy enough to feel thankful and gracious when something good happens to us, but are you also able to feel gratitude even for the not-so-pleasant things that life sends our way? The ancient Stoics attempted to do just that.
When reading these quotes about gratitude, remember that Stoicism doesn’t teach us to only be thankful for pleasant things, but to be gracious that we’re able to experience every single facet of our lives . . . good, bad, and indifferent.
Stoic Quotes on Gratitude from Marcus Aurelius
“All you need are these: certainty of judgment in the present moment; action for the common good in the present moment; and an attitude of gratitude in the present moment for anything that comes your way.”
“Pass through this brief patch of time in harmony with nature, and come to your final resting place gracefully, just as a ripened olive might drop, praising the earth that nourished it and grateful to the tree that gave it growth.“
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
Stoic Quotes on Gratitude from Epictetus
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
“Remember that you must behave in life as at a dinner party. Is anything brought around to you? Put out your hand and take your share with moderation. Does it pass by you? Don’t stop it. Is it not yet come? Don’t stretch your desire towards it, but wait till it reaches you. Do this with regard to children, to a wife, to public posts, to riches, and you will eventually be a worthy partner of the feasts of the gods. And if you don’t even take the things which are set before you, but are able even to reject them, then you will not only be a partner at the feasts of the gods, but also of their empire.”
Stoic Quotes on Gratitude from Seneca
“If you admit to having derived great pleasures, your duty is not to complain about what has been taken away but to be thankful for what you have been given.”
“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.“
“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing.”