Plain
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

Whatever anyone does or says, you must be good. Not for their sake, but because it's your nature. It's like gold or an emerald or purple saying to itself: 'Whatever anyone does or says, I must still be an emerald. I must keep my color.'

Meditations, Book 7, Section 12 Book 7 · 13 of 58
Knowing Yourself Doing The Right Thing
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

Whatsoever any man either doth or saith, thou must be good; not for any man's sake, but for thine own nature's sake; as if either gold, or the emerald, or purple, should ever be saying to themselves, Whatsoever any man either doth or saith, I must still be an emerald, and I must keep my colour.

Meditations, Book 7, Section 12 Book 7 · 13 of 58
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

External things will happen as they happen to whatever can be harmed by outside events. Let those things complain if they want to. As for me, as long as I don't think what happened is bad, I'm not hurt. And it's up to me whether I think of it as bad or not.

Meditations, Book 7, Section 11 Book 7 · 12 of 58
Freedom & Control Calm Your Mind
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

Of things that are external, happen what will to that which can suffer by external accidents. Those things that suffer let them complain themselves, if they will; as for me, as long as I conceive no such thing, that that which is happened is evil, I have no hurt; and it is in my power not to conceive any such thing.

Meditations, Book 7, Section 11 Book 7 · 12 of 58
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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