Ah, lives of men! When prosperous they glitter – Like a fair picture when misfortune comes – A wet sponge at one blow has blurred the painting. – Aeschylus

It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little. – Diogenes

It is the dissimilarities and inequalities among men which give rise to the notion of honor as such differences become less, it grows feeble and when they disappear, it will vanish too. – Alexis de Tocqueville

Ignorant people see life as either existence or non-existence, but wise men see it beyond both existence and non-existence to something that transcends them both this is an observation of the Middle Way. – Lucius Annaeus Seneca