The Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius - College of Stoic Philosophers

vi MARCUS AURELIUS 127
wants any of these things and besides, he must often find
;
fault with the gods. But to reverence and honour thy own
mind will make thee content with thyself, and in harmony
with society, and in agreement with the gods, that is,
praising all that they give and have ordered.
17. Above, below, all around are the movements of
the elements. But the motion of virtue is in none of these :
it is something more divine, and advancing by a way hardly
observed it goes happily on its road.
18. How strangely men act. They will not praise those
who are living at the same time and living with themselves ;
but to be themselves praised by posterity, by those whom
they have never seen or ever will see, this they set much
value on. But this is very much the same as if thou
shouldst be grieved because those who have lived before
thee did not praise thee.
19. If a thing
is difficult to be accomplished by thyself,
do not think that it is impossible for a man : but if
any
thing is possible for a man and conformable to his nature,
think that this can be attained by thyself too.
20. In the gymnastic exercises suppose that a man has
torn thee with his nails, and by dashing against thy head
has inflicted a wound. Well, we neither show any signs
of vexation, nor are we offended, nor do we suspect him
afterwards as a treacherous fellow ; and yet we are on our
guard against him, not however as an enemy, nor yet with
suspicion, but we quietly get out of his way.
Something
like this let thy behaviour be in all the other parts of life ;
let us overlook many things in those who are like
antagonists in the gymnasium. For it is in our power, as I
said, to get out of the way, and to have no suspicion nor
hatred.
21. If any man is able to convince me and show me
that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change ;
for I seek the truth by which no man was ever injured.
But he is injured who abides in his error and ignorance.