] [from other things], nothing worthy of
blame, nothing which seeks a hiding-place.

[A] viii. 34.

9. Reverence the faculty which produces opinion. On this faculty it
entirely depends whether there shall exist in thy ruling part any
opinion inconsistent with nature and the constitution of the rational
animal. And this faculty promises freedom from hasty judgment, and
friendship towards men, and obedience to the gods.

10. Throwing away then all things, hold to these only which are few; and
besides, bear in mind that every man lives only this present time, which
is an indivisible point, and that all the rest of his life is either
past or it is uncertain. Short then is the time which every man lives;
and small the nook of the earth where he lives; and short too the
longest posthumous fame, and even this only continued by a succession of
poor human beings, who will very soon die, and who know not even
themselves, much less him who died long ago.

11. To the aids which have been mentioned let this one still be added:
Make for thyself a definition or description of the thing which is
presented to thee, so as to see distinctly what kind of a thing it is in
its substance, in its nudity, in its complete entirety, and tell thyself
its proper name, and the names of the things of which it has been
compounded, and into which it will be resolved. For nothing is so
productive of elevation of mind as to be able to examine methodically
and truly every object which is presented to thee in life, and always to
look at things so as to see at the same time what kind of universe this
is, and what kind of use everything performs in it, and what value
everything has with reference to the whole, and what with reference to
man, who is a citizen of the highest city, of which all other cities are
like families; what each thing is, and of what it is composed, and how
long it is the nature of this thing to endure which now makes an
impression on me, and what virtue I have need of with respect to it,
such as gentleness, manliness, truth, fidelity, simplicity, contentment,
and the rest. Wherefore, on every occasion a man should say: This comes
from god; and this is according to the apportionment + and spinning of
the thread of destiny, and such-like coincidence and chance; and this is
from one of the same stock, and a kinsman and partner, one who knows
not, however, what is according to his nature. But I know; for this
reason I behave towards