Plain
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

But especially when you find fault with someone ungrateful or dishonest, you need to look at yourself first. You are clearly at fault if you expected someone with a bad character to be true to you. Or when you did someone a favor, you should have stopped there — satisfied that you had done what you set out to do. You should have thought that the act itself was your full reward. What more do you want? You did a good deed for another person. Isn't that enough?

Meditations, Book 9, Section 43 Book 9 · 59 of 60
Knowing Yourself Human Nature
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

But then especially, when thou dost find fault with either an unthankful, or a false man, must thou reflect upon thyself. For without all question, thou thyself art much in fault, if either of one that were of such a disposition, thou didst expect that he should be true unto thee: or when unto any thou didst a good turn, thou didst not there bound thy thoughts, as one that had obtained his end; nor didst not think that from the action itself thou hadst received a full reward of the good that thou hadst done. For what wouldst thou have more? Unto him that is a man, thou hast done a good turn: doth not that suffice thee?

Meditations, Book 9, Section 43 Book 9 · 59 of 60
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

And generally, can't you teach someone who is making a mistake? Anyone who does wrong has lost sight of their real goal and is confused. And how does their wrongdoing hurt you? You won't find that any of these people you're angry with has actually done anything to harm your mind — which is the only thing that can truly be damaged. Why should it surprise or upset you when someone who doesn't know better acts like someone who doesn't know better? You should blame yourself instead. You had good reason to expect this kind of behavior from this person, but you didn't see it coming. And now you're shocked that it happened.

Meditations, Book 9, Section 43 Book 9 · 58 of 60
Human Nature Calm Your Mind
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

And generally, is it not in thy power to instruct him better, that is in an error? For whosoever sinneth, doth in that decline from his purposed end, and is certainly deceived, And again, what art thou the worse for his sin? For thou shalt not find that any one of these, against whom thou art incensed, hath in very deed done anything whereby thy mind (the only true subject of thy hurt and evil) can be made worse than it was. And what a matter of either grief or wonder is this, if he that is unlearned, do the deeds of one that is unlearned? Should not thou rather blame thyself, who, when upon very good grounds of reason, thou mightst have thought it very probable, that such a thing would by such a one be committed, didst not only not foresee it, but moreover dost wonder at it, that such a thing should be.

Meditations, Book 9, Section 43 Book 9 · 58 of 60
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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