25 Life Lessons from Cicero on Living Well

Cicero (106BC — 43BC) was one of Ancient Rome’s most famous orators. He was also a statesman, lawyer, and philosopher who preceded the likes of Seneca, Epictetus, and Epicurus. His life came to an untimely end, beheaded without a whimper at the behest of Mark Antony.

Nonetheless, Cicero left us with wisdom for the ages — wisdom that I found myself resigning into recently when I read his On Living and Dying Well.

Below are 25 key takeaways from the book which, whilst presented mostly as one-liners, say enough to intuit significance and meaning from.

1. Ensure harmony in all of your actions.
2. Impulse should obey reason.
3. Avoid wrongdoing.
4. Live in accordance with your nature (SG: as opposed to general nature, which is what the Stoics urge).
5. Overconfidence calls for training in reason.
6. Be like Filip II, not Alexander the Great.
7. Be modest, and seek balance in all things.
8. Don’t be afraid to say what you think, just because it might make you unpopular (SG: something of vital importance in the current age of cancel culture)
9. Use mild cures for mild ailments, and risky ones for major ailments.