Plain
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

A person who chases pleasure as truly good and runs from pain as truly evil is also impious. Such a person will often blame the common nature of things. They will say nature gives many things to both bad and good people unfairly. Bad people often get pleasures and what causes pleasure. Good people often get pains and what causes pain. Also, anyone who fears pains and troubles in this world fears some things that must happen in the world. We already showed this is impious. And someone who chases pleasures will not hold back from doing unjust things to get what they want. That is clearly impious. Now those things that nature treats as equally indifferent — she would not have created both pain and pleasure if both were not equally indifferent to her:

Meditations, Book 9, Section 1 Book 9 · 3 of 60
Doing The Right Thing Freedom & Control
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

He also that pursues after pleasures, as that which is truly good and flies from pains, as that which is truly evil: is impious. For such a one must of necessity oftentimes accuse that common nature, as distributing many things both unto the evil, and unto the good, not according to the deserts of either: as unto the bad oftentimes pleasures, and the causes of pleasures; so unto the good, pains, and the occasions of pains. Again, he that feareth pains and crosses in this world, feareth some of those things which some time or other must needs happen in the world. And that we have already showed to be impious. And he that pursueth after pleasures, will not spare, to compass his desires, to do that which is unjust, and that is manifestly impious. Now those things which unto nature are equally indifferent (for she had not created both, both pain and pleasure, if both had not been unto her equally indifferent):

Meditations, Book 9, Section 1 Book 9 · 3 of 60
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

Someone who lies on purpose is impious because they commit injustice. But someone who lies without meaning to is also impious. They go against the nature of the universe. They fight against the world's natural order. Anyone who goes against their own nature and works against truth is basically fighting a war against reality. Nature gave us the instincts and chances we need to find truth. If we ignore these gifts, we lose the ability to tell what is false from what is true.

Meditations, Book 9, Section 1 Book 9 · 2 of 60
Doing The Right Thing Human Nature
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

He therefore that willingly and wittingly doth lie, is impious in that he doth receive, and so commit injustice: but he that against his will, in that he disagreeth from the nature of the universe, and in that striving with the nature of the world he doth in his particular, violate the general order of the world. For he doth no better than strive and war against it, who contrary to his own nature applieth himself to that which is contrary to truth. For nature had before furnished him with instincts and opportunities sufficient for the attainment of it; which he having hitherto neglected, is not now able to discern that which is false from that which is true.

Meditations, Book 9, Section 1 Book 9 · 2 of 60
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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