Marcus Aurelius: “It is no evil for things to undergo change, and no good for things to subsist in consequence of change.”

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.

Besides this, he honored those who were true philosophers, and he did not reproach those who pretended to be philosophers, nor yet was he easily led by them.

All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil.

The third, then, is the ruling part; consider thus: Thou art an old man; no longer let this be a slave, no longer be pulled by the strings like a puppet to unsocial movements, no longer be either dissatisfied with thy present lot, or…