9781945186240

10. Remorse is annoyance at yourself for having passed up something
that’s to your benefit. But if it’s to your benefit it must be good—something
a truly good person would be concerned about.
But no truly good person would feel remorse at passing up pleasure.
So it cannot be to your benefit, or good.
11. What is this, fundamentally? What is its nature and substance, its
reason for being? What is it doing in the world? How long is it here for?
12. When you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, remember
that your defining characteristic—what defines a human being—is to work
with others. Even animals know how to sleep. And it’s the characteristic
activity that’s the more natural one—more innate and more satisfying.
13. Apply them constantly, to everything that happens: Physics. Ethics.
Logic.
14. When you have to deal with someone, ask yourself: What does he
mean by good and bad? If he thinks x or y about pleasure and pain (and
what produces them), about fame and disgrace, about death and life, then it
shouldn’t shock or surprise you when he does x or y.
In fact, I’ll remind myself that he has no real choice.
15. Remember: you shouldn’t be surprised that a fig tree produces figs,
nor the world what it produces. A good doctor isn’t surprised when his
patients have fevers, or a helmsman when the wind blows against him.
16. Remember that to change your mind and to accept correction are
free acts too. The action is yours, based on your own will, your own
decision—and your own mind.
17. If it’s in your control, why do you do it? If it’s in someone else’s,
then who are you blaming? Atoms? The gods? Stupid either way.
Blame no one. Set people straight, if you can. If not, just repair the
damage. And suppose you can’t do that either. Then where does blaming
people get you?
No pointless actions.