Four quotes on Love

Parallel sayings of Jesus and the Stoics

Today I’ll share four quotes about love from Brittany Polat’s Jesus and Stoicism: The Parallel Sayings – enjoy.

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Adapt yourself to the things that circumstances have brought to you. And the people who happen to surround you–love them, but do it truly, sincerely.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 6.39

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

Luke 6.32-35

So let every one of you, who is eager to be or gain a friend, eradicate [faulty] judgments, hate them, drive them out of your mind. If you do that, then in the first place, you will never criticize yourself or be in conflict with yourself, and you will be free from inward reproach and self-torture; and, in the second place, in relation to other people, you will always straightforward to every like-minded person, while to everyone who is unlike you, you will be tolerant, gentle, kindly, forgiving, as to one who is ignorant, or is making a mistake in things of greatest importance.

Epictetus, Discourses, 2.22, 34-36

For what purpose do I make a friend? In order to have someone for whom I may die, whom I may follow into exile, against whose death I may stake my own life.

Seneca, Moral Letters 9.10