Marcus Aurelius: “And it is in thy power also; or say, who hinders thee?”

In the application of thy principles thou must be like the pancratiast, not like the gladiator; for the gladiator lets fall the sword which he uses and is killed; but the other always has his hand, and needs to do nothing else than use it.

Be cheerful also, and seek not external help nor the tranquillity which others give.

If then there is an invincible necessity, why dost thou resist?

I observed, too, that no man could ever think that he was despised by Maximus, or ever venture to think himself a better man.