《沉思录·卷六·宇宙即变化》第46条
As it happens to thee in the amphitheatre and such places, that the continual sight of the same things, and the uniformity, make the spectacle wearisome, so it is in the whole of life; for all things above, below, are the same and from the same. How long then?
注释摘要
这条札记用一个非常现代的比喻，把人生比作角斗场或剧场里日复一日上演的雷同剧目。奥勒留的逻辑是这样展开的：你坐在看台上，起初感到刺激，但一遍遍看着本质相同的厮杀、表演、欢呼和退场，感官最终会因为单调而陷入疲惫和厌倦。这是每个人都会经历的心理状态。随后他立刻将这个体验投射到整个生命上——你每天起床，处理类似的政务，接见类似的人，听到类似的奉承，遭遇类似的背叛，…