Pay attention to how things appear to you. Watch over your thoughts carefully. What you're trying to protect is no small thing. You're protecting your self-respect, your reliability, your steady character, your freedom from strong emotions, your peace of mind, your fearlessness, your calm — in short, your liberty. What would you sell these for? Look at what you'd get in return. 'But won't I get anything for giving these up?' Look and see. If you do get something back, see what you're actually receiving instead. I have my dignity, he has a government position. He has a high office, I have my self-respect. But I don't cheer when it's wrong to cheer. I won't stand when I shouldn't stand. I am free and a friend of God, so I obey him willingly.
Attend therefore to the appearances of things, and watch over them; for that which you have to preserve is no small matter, but it is modesty and fidelity and constancy, freedom from the affects, a state of mind undisturbed, freedom from fear, tranquillity, in a word liberty. For what will you sell these things? See what is the value of the things which you will obtain in exchange for these.—But shall I not obtain any such thing for it?—See, and if you do in return get that, see what you receive in place of it. I possess decency, he possesses a tribuneship: he possesses a prætorship, I possess modesty. But I do not make acclamations where it is not becoming: I will not stand up where I ought not; for I am free, and a friend of God. and so I obey him willingly.