《沉思录·卷八·行事与本分》第48条
Remember that the ruling faculty is invincible, when self-collected it is satisfied with itself, if it does nothing which it does not choose to do, even if it resist from mere obstinacy. What then will it be when it forms a judgment about anything aided by reason and deliberately? Therefore the mind which is free from passions is a citadel, for man has nothing more secure to which he can fly for refuge and for the future be inexpugnable. He then who has not seen this is an ignorant man; but he who has seen it and does not fly to this refuge is unhappy.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这里所说的“主宰能力”，就是斯多葛派常说的hegemonikon，即人的灵魂中那个发号施令的中心。它不是纯粹的理智，而是那个管理思想、判断、欲望和行动的主宰部分。它既接受从外界涌来的印象，又赋予这些印象以意义，最后决定是否同意某个念头，是否去追求或回避某个东西。这条札记的核心论点极其凝练：这个主宰能力，只要它收敛在自己之内，只做自己真正愿意做的事，…