WIST

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil?

Epicurus (341-270 BC) Greek philosopher
(Attributed)
"Epicurus' old riddle," in David Hume (1711-1776), Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Part X (1779). Full text. It is not found in Epicurus' surviving works. Discussion.

Variants:

• "Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; Or he can, but does not want to; Or he cannot and does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. But, if God both can and wants to abolish evil, then how come evil is in the world?"

• "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
  Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
  Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
  Is he neither able nor willing?  Then why call him God?"

It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us as the confidence of their help.

Epicurus (341-270 BC) Greek philosopher
The Vatican Sayings

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

Epicurus (341-270 BC) Greek philosopher
The Vatican Sayings

Your anxiety is directly proportional to your forgetfulness of nature, for you bring on yourself unlimited fears and desires.

Epicurus (341-270 BC) Greek philosopher
Fragment

The impious one is not the one who takes away the gods of the masses, but rather the one who imposes the ideas of the masses on the gods.

Epicurus (341-270 BC) Greek philosopher
Letter to Menoeceus