《沉思录·卷八·行事与本分》第10条
Repentance is a kind of self-reproof for having neglected something useful; but that which is good must be something useful, and the perfect good man should look after it. But no such man would ever repent of having refused any sensual pleasure. Pleasure then is neither good nor useful.
注释摘要
这段话做了一个相当冷静的拆解。奥勒留不打算泛泛地谈论后悔这种情绪，而是直接给它下了一个斯多葛式的定义：后悔是对自己忽略了某种有用之物的自我责备。这个定义一下子就限定了后悔的范围——它不是一种模糊的难过、羞愧或遗憾，而是一个理性判断的产物，指向一件具体的事，即你错过了真正有用的东西。既然后悔必然与有用相关，而善也必然是有用的，那么可以推知：一个真正的好人，他…