Death Did Not Frighten Socrates
It is not he who gives abuse or blows who affronts, but the view we take of these things as insulting. When anyone provokes you, be assured that it is your own opinion which provokes you. Try first not to be bewildered by appearances. Gain time and respite, and you will more easily command yourself. The pause is the whole technique. Without it, the blow and the story arrive as one thing.
Key Insight
The insult needs your classification to finish. Delay the classification and the words stay words long enough for you to notice who is actually doing the hurting.
“Remember that it is not he who gives abuse or blows, who affronts, but the view we take of these things as insulting. When, therefore, anyone provokes you, be assured that it is your own opinion which provokes you.”Explore full theme analysis
