And if all men refuse to believe that he lives a simple, modest, and contented life, he is neither angry with any of them, nor does he deviate from the way which leads to the end of life, to which a man ought to come pure, tranquil, ready to depart, and without any compulsion perfectly reconciled to his lot.
In his private journal, Marcus Aurelius describes the ideal conduct of a person who remains steadfast in virtue despite external judgment.
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But if it is easy to set little value on all these things, turn to that which remains, which is to follow reason and God.
What remains, except to enjoy life by joining one good thing to another so as not to leave even the smallest intervals between?
The safety of life is this, to examine everything all through, what it is itself, that is its material, what the formal part; with all thy soul to do justice and to say the truth.
There is one light of the sun, though it is interrupted by walls, mountains, and other things infinite.
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