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Page 40
20. In one respect man is the nearest thing to me, so far as I must do
good to men and endure them. But so far as some men make themselves
obstacles to my proper acts, man becomes to me one of the things which
are indifferent, no less than the sun or wind or a wild beast. Now it is
true that these may impede my action, but they are no impediments to my
affects and disposition, which have the power of acting conditionally
and changing: for the mind converts and changes every hindrance to its
activity into an aid; and so that which is a hindrance is made a
furtherance to an act; and that which is an obstacle on the road helps
us on this road.
21. Reverence that which is best in the universe; and this is that which
makes use of all things and directs all things. And in like manner also
reverence that which is best in thyself; and this is of the same kind as
that. For in thyself also, that which makes use of everything else is
this, and thy life is directed by this.
22. That which does no harm to the state, does no harm to the citizen.
In the case of every appearance of harm apply this rule: if the state
is not harmed by this, neither am I harmed. But if the state is harmed,
thou must not be angry with him who does harm to the state. Show him
where his error is.
23. Often think of the rapidity with which things pass by and disappear,
both the things which are and the things which are produced. For
substance is like a river in a continual flow, and the activities of
things are in constant change, and the causes work in infinite
varieties; and there is hardly anything which stands still. And consider
this which is near to thee, this boundless abyss of the past and of the
future in which all things disappear. How then is he not a fool who is
puffed up with such things or plagued about them and makes himself
miserable? for they vex him only for a time, and a short time.
24. Think of the universal substance, of which thou hast a very small
portion; and of universal time, of which a short and indivisible
interval has been assigned to thee; and of that which is fixed by
destiny, and how small a part of it thou art.
25. Does another do me wrong? Let him look to it. He has his own
disposition, his own activity. I now have what the universal nature now
wills me to have; and I do what my nature now wills me to do.
26. Let the part of thy soul which leads and governs be undisturbed by
the movements in the flesh, whether of pleasure or of pain; and let it
not unite with them, but let it circumscribe itself and limit those
affects to their parts. But when these affects rise up to the mind by
virtue of that other sympathy that naturally exists in a body which is
all one, then thou must not strive to resist the sensation, for it is
natural: but let not the ruling part of itself add to the sensation the
opinion that it is either good or bad.
27. Live with the gods. And he does live with the gods who constantly
shows to them that his own soul is satisfied with that which is assigned
to him, and that it does all that the daemon wishes, which Zeus hath
given to every man for his guardian and guide, a portion of himself. And
this is every man's understanding and reason.
28. Art thou angry with him whose armpits stink? art thou angry with him
whose mouth smells foul? What good will this anger do thee? He has such
a mouth, he has such armpits: it is necessary that such an emanation
must come from such things: but the man has reason, it will be said, and
he is able, if he takes pains, to discover wherein he offends; I wish
thee well of thy discovery. Well then, and thou hast reason: by thy
rational faculty stir up his rational faculty; show him his error,
admonish him. For if he listens, thou wilt cure him, and there is no
need of anger. [+ Neither tragic actor nor whore. +][A]
[A] This is imperfect or corrupt, or both. There is also
something wrong or incomplete in the beginning of S. 29, where
he says [Greek: h�s exelth�n z�n diano�], which Gataker
translates "as if thou wast about to quit life;" but we cannot
translate [Greek: exelth�n] in that way. Other translations are
not much more satisfactory. I have translated it literally and
left it imperfect.
29. As thou intendest to live when them art gone out, ... so it is in
thy power to live here. But if men do not permit thee, then get away out
of life, yet so as if thou wert suffering no harm. The house is smoky,
and I quit it.[A] Why dost thou think that this is any trouble? But so
long as nothing of the kind drives me out, I remain, am free, and no man
shall hinder me from doing what I choose; and I choose to do what is
according to the nature of the rational and social animal.
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