“A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.”

“The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but on the mastery of his passions.”

“...happiness does not consist in amusement. In fact, it would be strange if our end were amusement, and if we were to labor and suffer hardships all our life long merely to amuse ourselves.... The happy life is regarded as a life in conformity with virtue. It is a life which involves effort and is not spent in amusement....”

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.”

“Darkness is the absence of light. Happiness is the absence of pain. Anger is the absence of joy. Jealousy is the absence of confidence. Love is the absence of doubt. Hate is the absence of peace. Fear is the absence of faith. Life is the absence of death.”

“A happy life consists in tranquility of mind.”