Marcus Aurelius

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…

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

For he who yields to pain and he who yields to anger, both are wounded and both submit.

For in the same degree in which a man's mind is nearer to freedom from all passion, in the same degree also is it nearer to strength: and as the sense of pain is a characteristic of weakness, so also is anger.

But thou must equally avoid nattering men and being vexed at them, for both are unsocial and lead to harm.

Take away these opinions then, and resolve to dismiss thy judgment about an act as if it were something grievous, and thy anger is gone.

For as every soul is unwillingly deprived of the truth, so also is it unwillingly deprived of the power of behaving to each man according to his deserts.

Consider whence each thing is come, and of what it consists, + and into what it changes, and what kind of a thing it will be when it has changed, and that it will sustain no harm.

For if these things are according to nature, rejoice in them and they will be easy to thee: but if contrary to nature, seek what is conformable to thy own nature, and strive towards this, even if it bring no reputation; for every man is…

As to living in the best way, this power is in the soul, if it be indifferent to things which are indifferent.

The good and simple and benevolent show all these things in the eyes, and there is no mistaking.

The man who is honest and good ought to be exactly like a man who smells strong, so that the bystander as soon as he comes near him must smell whether he choose or not.

Such as a man's character is,+ he immediately shows it in his eyes, just as he who is beloved forthwith reads everything in the eyes of lovers.

The voice ought to be plainly written on the forehead.

How unsound and insincere is he who says, I have determined to deal with thee in a fair way!--What are thou doing, man?

Men despise one another and flatter one another; and men wish to raise themselves above one another, and crouch before one another.

But I will look to this, that I be not discovered doing or saying anything deserving of contempt.

The spherical form of the soul maintains its figure when it is neither extended towards any object, nor contracted inwards, nor dispersed, nor sinks down, but is illuminated by light, by which it sees the truth,--the truth of all things…

Let then thy judgment about them be at rest, and they will remain quiet, and thou wilt not be seen either pursuing or avoiding.

If the things do not come to thee, the pursuits and avoidances of which disturb thee, still in a manner thou goest to them.

But if this is so, that nature which is the most perfect and the most comprehensive of all natures, cannot fall short of the skill of art Now all arts do the inferior things for the sake of the superior; therefore the universal nature does…

There is no nature which is inferior to art, for the arts imitate the natures of things.

For this also is a weakness, to be vexed at them, as well as to be diverted from thy course of action and to give way through fear; for both are equally deserters from their post,--the man who does it through fear, and the man who is…

However, if it often happens, this kind of separation, it makes it difficult for that which detaches itself to be brought to unity and to be restored to its former condition.

Yet he has this privilege certainly from Zeus, who framed society, for it is in our power to grow again to that which is near to us, and again to become a part which helps to make up the whole.