Do you think that you can act as you do, and be a philosopher? That you can eat and drink, and be angry and discontented as you are now? You must watch, you must labor, you must get the better of certain appetites, must quit your acquaintance, be despised by your servant, be laughed at by those you meet; come off worse than others in everything, in magistracies, in honors, in courts of judicature.When you have considered all these things round, approach, if you please; if, by parting with them, you have a mind to purchase apathy, freedom, and tranquillity.If not, don't come here;don't, like children, be one while a philosopher, then a publican, then an orator, and then one of Caesar's officers.These things are not consistent.
You must be one man, either good or bad.You must cultivate either your own ruling faculty or externals, and apply yourself either to things within or without you; that is, be either a philosopher, or one of the vulgar.30.Duties are universally measured by relations.Is anyone a father?
If so, it is implied that the children should take care of him, submit to him in everything, patiently listen to his reproaches, his correction.
But he is a bad father.Is you naturally entitled, then, to a good father?
No, only to a father.Is a brother unjust? Well, keep your own situation towards him.Consider not what he does, but what you are to do to keep your own faculty of choice in a state conformable to nature.For another will not hurt you unless you please.You will then be hurt when you think you are hurt.In this manner, therefore, you will find, from the idea of a neighbor, a citizen, a general, the corresponding duties if you accustom yourself to contemplate the several relations.31.Be assured that the essential property of piety towards the gods is to form right opinions concerning them, as existing "I and as governing the universe with goodness and justice.And fix yourself in this resolution, to obey them, and yield to them, and willingly follow them in all events, as produced by the most perfect understanding.For thus you will never find fault with the gods, nor accuse them as neglecting you.And it is not possible for this to be effected any other way than by withdrawing yourself from things not in our own control, and placing good or evil in those only which are.For if you suppose any of the things not in our own control to be either good or evil, when you are disappointed of what you wish, or incur what you would avoid, you must necessarily find fault with and blame the authors.For every animal is naturally formed to fly and abhor things that appear hurtful, and the causes of them; and to pursue and admire those which appear beneficial, and the causes of them.It is impractical, then, that one who supposes himself to be hurt should be happy about the person who, he thinks, hurts him, just as it is impossible to be happy about the hurt itself.Hence, also, a father is reviled by a son, when he does not impart to him the things which he takes to be good; and the supposing empire to be a good made Polynices and Eteocles mutually enemies.On this account the husbandman, the sailor, the merchant, on this account those who lose wives and children, revile the gods.For where interest is, there too is piety placed.So that, whoever is careful to regulate his desires and aversions as he ought, is, by the very same means, careful of piety likewise.But it is also incumbent on everyone to offer libations and sacrifices and first fruits, conformably to the customs of his country, with purity, and not in a slovenly manner, nor negligently, nor sparingly, nor beyond his ability.32.When you have recourse to divination, remember that you know not what the event will be, and you come to learn it of the diviner; but of what nature it is you know before you come, at least if you are a philosopher.
