《沉思录·卷五·天未亮就起身》第9条
Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles, but when thou hast failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what thou doest is consistent with man's nature, and love this to which thou returnest; and do not return to philosophy as if she were a master, but act like those who have sore eyes and apply a bit of sponge and egg, or as another applies a plaster, or drenching with water. For thus thou wilt not fail to + obey reason, and thou wilt repose in it. And remember that philosophy requires only things which thy nature requires; but thou wouldst have something else which is not according to nature.--It may be objected, Why, what is more agreeable than this [which I am doing]? But is not this the very reason why pleasure deceives us? And consider if magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, equanimity, piety, are not more agreeable. For what is more agreeable than wisdom itself, when thou thinkest of the security and the happy course of all things which depend on the faculty of understanding and knowledge?
注释摘要
这段札记在开篇就面对着一个非常具体的困境：道德上的失手。奥勒留不是在对别人说教，而是在对自己说话。他清楚地知道自己会犯错，会做不到“事事都按正确的原则而行”。于是，他给出的第一个命令，不是加倍的严厉，而是禁止一种有害的情绪：不要厌恶自己，不要灰心，不要对自己不满。这三个禁令的力度很深，因为在斯多葛派的训练中，道德上的挫败很容易把人推向一种自我憎恨的瘫痪状态…