Volume 1 - Discourses - Books I - II - College of Stoic Philosophers

BOOK I. xxv. n-iSbehave in the matter of hypothetical proposals, sowe ought to behave in life also. 1 " Let it benight." So be it. "What then? Is itday?"No, for I have accepted the assumption that it is"night. Let us suppose that you assume it to benight." So be it. "But go on and assume that it isnight." That is not consistent with the hypothesis.cfSo also in the present case. Let us suppose thatyou are unhappy." So be it. ''Are you, then,unfortunate " cc? Yes. What then ? Are youtroubled with ill-fortune? " Yes. "But go on andassume that you are in a wretched plight." Thatis not consistent with the hypothesis ; moreover,there is Another 2 who forbids me so to think. 3How long, then, should we obey such commands ?As long as it is beneficial, and that means, as longas Ipreserve what is becoming and consistentFurther, some men are unduly crabbed and have toosharp tongues and say, " I cannot dine at thisfellow's house, where 1 have to put up with histelling every day how he fought in :Mysia c I havetold you, brother, how I climbed up to the crest ofthe hill; w r ell now, I begin to be besieged again.'"ccBut another says, I would rather dine and hearhim babble all he pleases." And it is for you tocompare these estimates ; only do nothing as oneburdened, or afflicted, or thinking that he is in awretched plight; for no one forces you to this.Has some one made a smoke in the house ? If hereally is night, for that is no longer a mere hypothesis, butthe statement of a falsehood. 1 simply "play the game" aslong as we are dealing with hypotheses, but must "breakup the game " ifrequired to make a false statement aboutactual facts.VOL. I.M161