Marcus Aurelius: “Take away then, when thou choosest, thy opinion, and like a mariner who has doubled the promontory, thou wilt find calm…”

For every judgment and movement and desire and aversion is within, and no evil ascends so high.

Further, I owe it to the gods that I was not hurried into any offence against any of them, though I had a disposition which, if opportunity had offered, might have led me to do something of this kind; but, through their favor, there never…

Whatever this is that I am, it is a little flesh and breath, and the ruling part.

Labor not unwillingly, nor without regard to the common interest, nor without due consideration, nor with distraction; nor let studied ornament set off thy thoughts, and be not either a man of many words, or busy about too many things.