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Book 5
Notshowingoffyourobediencetothelogos,butrestinginit.Remember:philosophyrequiresonlywhatyournaturealreadydemands.Whatyou’vebeenafterissomethingelseagain—somethingunnatural.
—Butwhatcouldbepreferable?
That’sexactlyhowpleasuretrapsus,isn’tit?Wouldn’tmagnanimitybepreferable?Orfreedom?Honesty?Prudence?Piety?Andisthereanythingpreferabletothoughtitself—tologic,tounderstanding?Thinkoftheirsurefootedness.Theirfluentstillness.
10.Thingsarewrappedinsuchaveilofmysterythatmanygoodphilosophershavefounditimpossibletomakesenseofthem.EventheStoicshavetrouble.Anyassessmentwemakeissubjecttoalteration—justasweareourselves.
Lookcloselyatthem—howimpermanenttheyare,howmeaningless.Thingsthatapervertcanown,awhore,athief.
Thenlookatthewaythepeoplearoundyoubehave.Eventhebestofthemarehardtoputupwith—nottomentionputtingupwithyourself.Insuchdeepdarkness,suchasewer—inthefluxofmaterial,oftime,ofmotionandthingsmoved—Idon’tknowwhatthereistovalueortoworkfor.
Quitethecontrary.Weneedtocomfortourselvesandwaitfordissolution.Andnotgetimpatientinthemeantime,buttakerefugeinthesetwothings:
I.Nothingcanhappentomethatisn’tnatural.
II.IcankeepfromdoinganythingthatGodandmyownspiritdon’tapprove.
