Habeat vires magnas, moderatas tamen

“Quid ergo? Non aliquando et insurget?” Quidni? Sed salva dignitate morum, quam violenta ista et nimia vis exuit. Habeat vires magnas, moderatas tamen; perennis sit unda, non torrens.


“Kaip? Ar jai niekados nedera pakelti balso?” Kodėl gi ne? Tačiau reikia išsaugoti savigarbą, kurią išguja tas stiprus ir per didelis polinkis kalbėti. Tegu kalba turi daug jėgos, bet toji jėga privalo būti pažabota. Tegu ši kalba liejasi nesibaigiančia srove, bet ne griaudžiančiu kriokliu.


“What then?” you say; “should not philosophy sometimes take a loftier tone?” Of course she should; but dignity of character should be preserved, and this is stripped away by such violent and excessive force. Let philosophy possess great forces, but kept well under control; let her stream flow unceasingly, but never become a torrent.

Philosophia bonum consilium est

Philosophia bonum consilium est: consilium nemo clare dat.


Filosofija yra geras patarimas, o patarimo niekas neduoda pakeltu tonu.


Philosophy is good advice; and no one can give advice at the top of his lungs.

Unde enim scis an iam nimis habeas

Tu vero, sive aliquid habes, iam philosophare — unde enim scis an iam nimis habeas?


Tačiau užsiimk filosofija ir šiek tiek turėdamas, nes iš kur žinai, ar ne per daug jau turi?


Nay, your plan should be this: be a philosopher now, whether you have anything or not, — for if you have anything, how do you know that you have not too much already?

Non est ergo prius acquirendum

Non est ergo prius acquirendum: licet ad philosophiam etiam sine viatico pervenire.


Vadinasi, nieko nereikia įsigyti iš anksto: į filosofiją galima ateiti ir neturint kelionpinigių.


Therefore one should not seek to lay up riches first; one may attain to philosophy, however, even without money for the journey.

Non in verbis sed in rebus philosophia est

Excute te et varie scrutare et observa; illud ante omnia vide, utrum in philosophia an in ipsa vita profeceris. Non est philosophia populare artificium nec ostentationi paratum; non in verbis sed in rebus est.


Pirmiausia žiūrėk, ar pažangą darai filosofijoje, ar pačiame gyvenime. Filosofija nėra kiekvienam įkandamas ar parodai skirtas užsiėmimas. Ji slypi ne žodžiuose, bet darbuose.


Examine yourself; scrutinize and observe yourself in divers ways; but mark, before all else, whether it is in philosophy or merely in life itself that you have made progress. Philosophy is no trick to catch the public; it is not devised for show. It is a matter, not of words, but of facts.