Marcus Aurelius: “Penetrate inwards into men's leading principles, and thou wilt see what judges thou art afraid of, and what kind of…”

There is one light of the sun, though it is interrupted by walls, mountains, and other things infinite.

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

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.