What are some mind over matter quotes, techniques, and philosophies? Quotes have a special place in our civilization. This has been the case for centuries. Who has not heard of “Elementary, my dear Watson!”, or “To be or not to be, that is the question.” These quotes are enshrined in the minds of almost every literate English speaker around the world. The same goes for famous quotes, literary or otherwise, that are popular in other languages.
Image Credit: Pixabay
However, certain quotes are more hard-hitting than others, especially if they are philosophical and offer a different view of life. Famous philosophers, scientists, and leaders have encapsulated a wealth of meaning within one sentence. These quotes still serve us today to remember that life is not all bleak and that we can still rise up and move forward by overcoming our limitations. Three examples of mind over matter quotes, techniques, and philosophies are quotes by Marcus Aurelius, Lao Tzu, and Rabindranath Tagore.
Marcus Aurelius, the Roman philosopher, claimed in his Meditations that “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.” A major proponent of stoicism as a movement, Aurelius believed that mastery over the mind was the ultimate goal in life. It is the only thing under our control, unlike other external factors like power, fame, beauty, or wealth. So we can program our mind to keep us content.
“The tree which needs two arms to span its girth sprang from the tiniest shoot. Yon tower, nine storeys high, rose from a little mound of earth. A journey of a thousand miles began with a single step.”, says Lao Tzu, a renowned Chinese philosopher in The Sayings of Lao-Tzu. This means that great things can be done in small quantities. This applies as much to modern life as to the ancient world.
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”, is a quote credited to Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian poet, writer, painter, and philosopher. The quote means that to achieve anything, one must actually start doing something. Merely complaining or claiming you want to do great things are of no use. The quote is from his book, The King Of The Dark Chamber. There are many more such quotes in our list. We consulted Conscious Panda and Brainy Quote to find 25 popular quotes and then ranked them according to our own preferences.