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Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.
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“Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.”

Marcus Aurelius

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Source
Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Date
c. 170 CE
English wording
George Long — Translator · from Ancient Greek
Meaning

Meaning of “Look within. Within is the fountain of good,…”

Moral resources are pictured as something cultivated inwardly through continued examination rather than obtained only from external approval or circumstance.

Source context

Where does it come from?

Meditations, Book VII, section 59, George Long translation in Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.

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Acceptance Quotes About Reality, Limits & ChangeCalmConfidence Quotes About Ability & Self-TrustGrowthIdentityIndependenceInner PeaceLoveMindfulnessPatiencePeacePresent MomentSelf ImprovementSelf LoveSelf RelianceSelf TrustShortStoicWisdom Quotes About Judgment & Living WellMeditation
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On the occasion of every accident that befalls you, remember to turn to yourself and inquire what power you have for turning it to use.
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“On the occasion of every accident that befalls you, remember to turn to yourself and inquire what power you have for turning it to use.”

Epictetus · Enchiridion · c. 125 CE
Meaning & context

Instead of beginning with what an event has taken away, the practice asks which capacity—endurance, restraint, patience, or judgment—can still be exercised.

Source details

Enchiridion, section X, George Long translation; Epictetus gives examples such as endurance under pain and patience under abuse.

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It is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself.
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“It is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself.”

Marcus Aurelius · Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus · c. 170
Meaning & context

A person can create an inward pause even when external conditions are noisy, using reflection to restore order before returning to action.

Source details

Meditations, Book IV, in George Long’s translation; this is the central clause of the retreat passage.

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Do no violence to yourself, respect in yourself the oscillations of feeling.
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“Do no violence to yourself, respect in yourself the oscillations of feeling.”

Henri-Frédéric Amiel · Amiel's Journal · 1852
Meaning & context

Self-respect here means refusing to force inner life into an artificial uniformity; changing feelings can be observed and treated with patience instead of self-aggression.

Source details

Amiel's Journal, entry dated April 28, 1852, in Mary Augusta Ward’s public-domain translation; Amiel counsels patience with the movement of feeling.

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Have confidence in yourself, and believe that you are proceeding on the right path.
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“Have confidence in yourself, and believe that you are proceeding on the right path.”

Seneca · Of Peace of Mind · 49–62 CE
Meaning & context

Seneca makes self-confidence a condition of steadiness: tranquility depends partly on trusting a course that has been examined rather than continually surrendering judgment to outside pressure.

Source details

Of Peace of Mind, section II, Aubrey Stewart translation in Minor Dialogues Together with the Dialogue on Clemency (1889), cross-checked against Project Gutenberg #64576 and the complete Wikisource transcription. Seneca tells Serenus to have confidence in himself and believe he is proceeding on the right path while defining the steady condition he calls peace of mind.

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If these wish to know how short their life is, let them reflect how small a part of it is their own.
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“If these wish to know how short their life is, let them reflect how small a part of it is their own.”

Seneca · On the Shortness of Life · c. 49
Meaning & context

The felt shortness of life is linked with how little of it remains under one’s own direction after obligations and borrowed priorities consume the rest.

Source details

On the Shortness of Life, Chapter XIX; Seneca closes by asking the engrossed to measure how much of their lifetime was actually their own.

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