The Soul's True Powers — Meditations

The soul sees itself, orders itself, reaps its own fruit. Unlike dancers interrupted mid-act, it can finish whatever is in hand and depart saying, I have lived, wanting nothing that properly belonged to me. It stretches to eternity and eternal return; at forty, with wit, one sees all things of one kind. Justice and sound reason are one. Divide song, sport, and pleasure into parts until shame cures the frenzy. Death-readiness should be grave and persuasive, not noisy or theatrical like forced martyrdom. Your profession is to be good; charity benefits you. Tragedy and comedy teach worldly chance and pride's restraint; the stage ends, and the cry to Cithaeron avails nothing.

Your present life fits a philosopher already. A hating man cuts himself from the tree, yet grafting back is possible. Grow together in affection, not opinions; keep judgment and meekness when opposed. Nature cannot be inferior to art; justice grounds other virtues. Things do not come to you; you go to them with judgment at rest. Soul like a sphere, all light. Contempt and hate cannot touch you if you deserve neither; be kind like Phocion inwardly. Men contemn each other while seeking to please; rotten is professed simplicity, while true goodness shows in the face. Happiness is inward indifference toward indifferents; wipe opinions you print on neutral things.

Nine remedies for anger at fools: kinship, rule, providence, their beds and opinions, your own sins, imperfect knowledge, life's brevity, opinion not the act, meek fatherly instruction. Tenth: mad to expect no wicked men. Meekness unconquered when genuine. Check four bad imaginations. Elements obey the whole; reasonable part alone rebels when it grieves providence or chases injustice. Hold one sociable end. Country mouse and city mouse: do not trade terror for glamour. Socrates calls common opinions bugbears; Lacedaemonians gave strangers the shade. Perdiccas feared inability to requite kindness more than death. Pythagoreans looked to ordered heavens at dawn. Socrates asked why men strive when sound reason is already theirs. Epictetus: when you kiss your child, remember tomorrow he may die, not ominous, like ripe grapes. Free will has no thief.