Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
p. 271honestly, like the great Phocion, unless indeed he only assumed it. For the interior [parts] ought to be such, and a man ought to be seen by the gods neither dissatisfied with anything nor complaining.
For what evil is it to thee, if thou art now doing what is agreeable to thy own nature, and art satisfied with that which at this moment is suitable to the nature of the universe, since thou art a human being placed at thy post in order that what is for the common advantage may be done in some way? 14. Men despise one another and flatter one another; and men wish to raise themselves above one another, and crouch before one another. 15.
How unsound and insincere is he who says, I have determined to deal with thee in a fair way ! — What art thou doing, man ? There is no occasion to give this notice. It will soon show itself by acts. The voice ought to be plainly written on the forehead. Such as a man's character is,f he immediately shows it in his eyes, just as he who is beloved forthwith reads everything in the eyes of lovers.
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. But the affectation of simplicity is like a crooked stick.1 Nothing 1 Instead of o-kAX/xt} Saumaise reads c/ca/i/SiJ. There is a Greek proverb, aKa^bv ty\ov offitirof 6p66v: "You cannot p. 272is more disgraceful than a wolfish friendship [false friendship]. Avoid this most of all. The good and simple and benevolent show all these things in the eyes, and there is no mistaking. 16. As to living in the best way, this power is in the soul, if it be indifferent to things which are indifferent.
And it will be indifferent, if it looks on each of these things separately and all together, and if it remembers that not one of them produces in us an opinion about itself, nor comes to us ; but these things remain immovable, and it is we ourselves who produce the judgments about them, and, as we may say, write them in ourselves, it being in our power not to write them, and it being in our power, if perchance these judgments have imperceptibly got admission to our minds, to wipe them out; and if we remember also that such attention will only be for a short time, and then life will be at an end.
Besides, what trouble is there at all in doing this ? 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 allowed to seek his own good. 17.
Consider whence each thing is come, and of what it consists,! and into what it changes, and make a crooked stick straight." — The wolfish friendship i» an allusion to the fable of the sheep and the wolves.
p. 273what kind of a thing it will be when it has changed, and that it will sustain no harm. 18. [If any have offended against thee, consider first] : What is my relation to men, and that we are made for one another ; and in another respect I was made to be set over them, as a ram over the flock or a bull over the herd.
But examine the matter from first principles, from this : If all things are not mere atoms, it is nature which orders all things : if this is so, the inferior things exist for the sake of the superior, and these for the sake of one another (ii. 1 ; ix. 39 ; v. 16 ; iii. 4).
Second, consider what kind of men they are at table, in bed, and so forth : and particularly, under what compulsions in respect of opinions they are ; and as to their acts, consider with what pride they do what they do (viii. 14 ; ix. 34). Third, that if men do rightly what they do, we ought not to be displeased : but if they do not right, it is plain that they do so involuntarily and in ignorance.
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. Accordingly men are pained when they are called unjust, ungrateful, and greedy, and in a word wrong-doers to their neighbors (vii. 62, 63 ; ii. 1 ; vii. 26 ; viii. 29). Fourth, consider that thou also doest many things wrong, and that thou art a man like others j
MARCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS. 271 honestly, like the great Phocion, unless indeed he only assumed it. For the interior [parts] ought to be such, and a man ought to be seen by the gods neither dissatisfied with anything nor complaining. For what evil is it to you, if you are now doing what is agreeable to your own nature, and art satisfied with that which at this moment is suitable to the nature of the universe, since you are a human being placed at your post in order that what is for the common advantage may be done in some way? 14. Men despise one another and flatter one another; and men wish to raise themselves above one another, and crouch before one another. 15. How unsound and insincere is he who says, I have determined to deal with you in a fair way ! — What art you doing, man ? There is no occasion to give this notice. It will soon show itself by acts. The voice ought to be plainly written on the forehead. Such as a man's character is,f he immediately shows it in his eyes, just as he who is beloved forthwith reads everything in the eyes of lovers. 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. But the affectation of simplicity is like a crooked stick.1 Nothing 1 Instead of o-kAX/xt} Saumaise reads c/ca/i/SiJ. There is a Greek proverb, aKa^bv ty\ov offitirof 6p66v: "You cannot 272 MEDITATIONS. is more disgraceful than a wolfish friendship [false friendship]. Avoid this most of all. The good and simple and benevolent show all these things in the eyes, and there is no mistaking. 16. As to living in the best way, this power is in the soul, if it be indifferent to things which are indifferent. And it will be indifferent, if it looks on each of these things separately and all together, and if it remembers that not one of them produces in us an opinion about itself, nor comes to us ; but these things remain immovable, and it is we ourselves who produce the judgments about them, and, as we may say, write them in ourselves, it being in our power not to write them, and it being in our power, if perchance these judgments have imperceptibly got admission to our minds, to wipe them out; and if we remember also that such attention will only be for a short time, and then life will be at an end. Besides, what trouble is there at all in doing this ? For if these things are according to nature, rejoice in them and they will be easy to you : but if contrary to nature, seek what is conformable to your own nature, and strive towards this, even if it bring no reputation ; for every man is allowed to seek his own good. 17. Consider whence each thing is come, and of what it consists,! and into what it changes, and make a crooked stick straight." — The wolfish friendship i» an allusion to the fable of the sheep and the wolves.
MARCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS. 273 what kind of a thing it will be when it has changed, and that it will sustain no harm. 18. [If any have offended against you, consider first] : What is my relation to men, and that we are made for one another ; and in another respect I was made to be set over them, as a ram over the flock or a bull over the herd. But examine the matter from first principles, from this : If all things are not mere atoms, it is nature which orders all things : if this is so, the inferior things exist for the sake of the superior, and these for the sake of one another (ii. 1 ; ix. 39 ; v. 16 ; iii. 4). Second, consider what kind of men they are at table, in bed, and so forth : and particularly, under what compulsions in respect of opinions they are ; and as to their acts, consider with what pride they do what they do (viii. 14 ; ix. 34). Third, that if men do rightly what they do, we ought not to be displeased : but if they do not right, it is plain that they do so involuntarily and in ignorance. 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. Accordingly men are pained when they are called unjust, ungrateful, and greedy, and in a word wrong-doers to their neighbors (vii. 62, 63 ; ii. 1 ; vii. 26 ; viii. 29). Fourth, consider that you also do many things wrong, and that you are a man like others j
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