Marcus Aurelius: “It is a vulgar, but still a useful help towards contempt of death, to pass in review those who have tenaciously stuck to…”

Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busybody, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial.

From thence all things flow; and there is besides necessity, and that which is for the advantage of the whole universe, of which thou art a part.

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.