Marcus Aurelius: “If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it.”

Throw away thy books; no longer distract thyself: it is not allowed; but as if thou wast now dying, despise the flesh; it is blood and bones and network, a contexture of nerves, veins, and arteries.

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

But if there is a providence which allows itself to be propitiated, make thyself worthy of the help of the divinity.

One is that things do not touch the soul, for they are external and remain immovable; but our perturbations come only from the opinion which is within.