Marcus Aurelius

But to allow men to behave so to others, and to expect them not to do thee any wrong, is irrational and tyrannical.

But the fourth is when thou shalt reproach thyself for anything, for this is an evidence of the diviner part within thee being overpowered and yielding to the less honorable and to the perishable part, the body, and to its gross pleasures…

Is it not then strange that thy intelligent part only should be disobedient and discontented with its own place?

For the movement towards injustice and intemperance and to anger and grief and fear is nothing else than the act of one who deviates from nature.

And also when the ruling faculty is discontented with anything that happens, then too it deserts its post: for it is constituted for piety and reverence towards the gods no less than for justice.

He who has not one and always the same object in life, cannot be one and the same all through his life.

Neither in writing nor in reading wilt thou be able to lay down rules for others before thou shalt have first learned to obey rules thyself.

All those things at which thou wishest to arrive by a circuitous road thou canst have now, if thou dost not refuse them to thyself.

But if there is a confusion without a governor, be content that in such a tempest thou hast in thyself a certain ruling intelligence.

Second, make thy acts refer to nothing else than to a social end.

Consider that before long thou wilt be nobody and nowhere, nor will any of the things exist which thou now seest, nor any of those who are now living.

For all things are formed by nature to change and be turned and to perish, in order that other things in continuous succession may exist (ix. 28).

Consider that everything is opinion, and opinion is in thy power.

Take away then, when thou choosest, thy opinion, and like a mariner who has doubled the promontory, thou wilt find calm, everything stable, and a waveless bay.

Therefore the termination of life for every man is no evil, because neither is it shameful, since it is both independent of the will and not opposed to the general interest, but it is good, since it is seasonable, and profitable to and…

And even if the tempest carry thee away, let it carry away the poor flesh, the poor breath, everything else; for the intelligence at least it will not carry away.

And even if he has done wrong, how do I know that he has not condemned himself?

Consider that he who would not have the bad man do wrong, is like the man who would not have the fig-tree to bear juice in the figs, and infants to cry, and the horse to neigh, and whatever else must of necessity be.

How small a part of the boundless and unfathomable time is assigned to every man, for it is very soon swallowed up in the eternal!

And how small a part of the whole substance; and how small a part of the universal soul; and on what a small clod of the whole earth thou creepest!

Reflecting on all this, consider nothing to be great, except to act as thy nature leads thee, and to endure that which the common nature brings.

But everything else, whether it is in the power of thy will or not, is only lifeless ashes and smoke.

Depart then satisfied, for he also who releases thee is satisfied.

Constantly bring to thy recollection those who have complained greatly about anything, those who have been most conspicuous by the greatest fame or misfortunes or enmities or fortunes of any kind: then think where are they all now?

Smoke and ash and a tale, or not even a tale.