Delphic Maxim #79

Maxim #79 – Work For What You Can Own

To me, this means that we should aspire to and work for the things that we can achieve by our own efforts.

Our tools are our mind, virtues, and choices – said another way, our thoughts, values, and habits.

Ancient Stoics offer guidance in both philosophy [logic, physics, and ethics] and cultivation of the four cardinal virtues [wisdom, courage, justice, temperance].

They teach us to desire only the things that are up to us. With clear purpose and clear thinking, we build character, achieve worthy goals, overcome obstacles.

What do you think?

The 147 Delphic Maxims [as cited by Stobaeus] are ancient guidelines and advice for living a proper and happy life. They are enduring and eternal in many aspects, although one must consider the times in which they were written and adapt the language accordingly.

They remain an important legacy of human history and continue to provide wisdom for the ages. The maxims live because they have been preserved, reiterated, and reinterpreted throughout the oral and written traditions of the Hellenic world – not as absolutes, but as living guidance.

Stobaeus was a Greek writer from about 500 A.D. Clearly a well-read scholar in his day, he managed to safeguard much of the prose and poetry of ancient Greece. To him we owe a great debt.

Download all the Delphic Maxims in a colorful PDF – click here.