《沉思录·卷八·行事与本分》第52条
He who does not know what the world is, does not know where he is. And he who does not know for what purpose the world exists, does not know who he is, nor what the world is. But he who has failed in any one of these things could not even say for what purpose he exists himself. What then dost thou think of him who [avoids or] seeks the praise of those who applaud, of men who know not either where they are or who they are?
注释摘要
这条格言用一连串层层递进的反问，把一个人对自己的根本无知与他对他人称赞的渴望联系在一起，力道极重。奥勒留的逻辑是直截了当的：如果你不知道宇宙是什么，你就不知道你所处的这个整体环境——你的位置、你的坐标；如果你进一步不知道宇宙是为了什么目的而存在，那么你既不知道自己是谁（因为你本是这宇宙的一部分，你的身份和目的都由宇宙整体的目的来规定），也不知道宇宙本身是什…