Have you gotten into the habit of looking to other people while studying philosophy? Do you hope for nothing from yourself? Then go ahead — cry and moan and eat your meals in fear that you might not have food tomorrow. Shake with worry about your slaves. Fear they'll steal from you, run away, or die. Live this way. Keep living this way. You've only approached philosophy in name. You've disgraced its teachings as much as you can by showing they're useless to anyone who tries them. You never sought steadiness, peace of mind, or freedom from your emotions. You never sought any teacher for this purpose, but many teachers for clever arguments. You never seriously examined any situation by asking yourself: Can I handle this, or can't I? What should I do next?
And have you also been accustomed while you were studying philosophy to look to others and to hope for nothing from yourself? Lament then and groan and eat with fear that you may not have food to-morrow. Tremble about your poor slaves lest they steal, lest they run away, lest they die. So live, and continue to live, you who in name only have approached philosophy, and have disgraced its theorems as far as you can by showing them to be useless and unprofitable to those who take them up; you who have never sought constancy, freedom from perturbation, and from passions; you who have not sought any person for the sake of this object, but many for the sake of syllogisms; you who have never thoroughly examined any of these appearances by yourself, Am I able to bear, or am I not able to bear? What remains for me to do?