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Book 7
Tolivelifeinpeace,immunetoallcompulsion.Letthemscreamwhatevertheywant.Letanimalsdismemberthissoftfleshthatcoversyou.Howwouldanyofthatstopyoufromkeepingyourmindcalm—reliablysizingupwhat’saroundyou—andreadytomakegooduseofwhateverhappens?SothatJudgmentcanlooktheeventintheeyeandsay,"Thisiswhatyoureallyare,regardlessofwhatyoumaylooklike."WhileAdaptabilityadds,"You’rejustwhatIwaslookingfor."Becausetomethepresentisachancefortheexerciseofrationalvirtue—civicvirtue—inshort,theartthatmensharewithgods.Bothtreatwhateverhappensaswhollynatural;notnovelorhardtodealwith,butfamiliarandeasilyhandled.
69.Perfectionofcharacter:toliveyourlastday,everyday,withoutfrenzy,orsloth,orpretense.
70.Thegodsliveforeverandyettheydon’tseemannoyedathavingtoputupwithhumanbeingsandtheirbehaviorthroughouteternity.Andnotonlyputupwithbutactivelycareforthem.
Andyou—onthevergeofdeath—youstillrefusetocareforthem,althoughyou’reoneofthemyourself.
71.It’ssillytotrytoescapeotherpeople’sfaults.Theyareinescapable.Justtrytoescapeyourown.
72.Whenevertheforcethatmakesusrationalandsocialencounterssomethingthatisneither,thenitcanreasonablyregarditasinferior.
73.You’vegivenaidandthey’vereceivedit
