For overcoming pain and pleasure, yes. For outgrowing
ambition, yes. For not feeling anger at stupid and unpleasant
people—even for caring about them—for that, yes.
- Don’t be overheard complaining about life at court. Not
even to yourself. - Remorse is annoyance at yourself for having passed up
something that’s to your benefit. But if it’s to your benefit it
must be good—something a truly good person would be
concerned about.
But no truly good person would feel remorse at passing up
pleasure.
So it cannot be to your benefit, or good.- What is this, fundamentally? What is its nature and
substance, its reason for being? What is it doing in the
world? How long is it here for? - When you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning,
remember that your defining characteristic—what defines a
human being—is to work with others. Even animals know
how to sleep. And it’s the characteristic activity that’s the
more natural one—more innate and more satisfying. - Apply them constantly, to everything that happens: