《沉思录·卷七·痛苦与忍受》第2条
How can our principles become dead, unless the impressions [thoughts] which correspond to them are extinguished? But it is in thy power continuously to fan these thoughts into a flame. I can have that opinion about anything which I ought to have. If I can, why am I disturbed? The things which are external to my mind have no relation at all to my mind.--Let this be the state of thy affects, and thou standest erect. To recover thy life is in thy power. Look at things again as thou didst use to look at them; for in this consists the recovery of thy life.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这里追问的是一个斯多葛派最根本也最日常的问题：我们内心那些正确的原则，那些关于善恶、本分、无常的判断，怎么就会死掉？他的回答非常简洁——只有当相应的“印象”，也就是我们面对具体事物时内心生起的看法和念头，被扑灭的时候，原则才会死。反过来说，原则的活力完全取决于我们是否持续地让这些看法活在心里。这里他用的意象“不断地扇动这些思想使之成为火焰”很能说明…