《沉思录·卷九·不义与虚妄》第2条
It would be a man's happiest lot to depart from mankind without having had any taste of lying and hypocrisy and luxury and pride. However, to breathe out one's life when a man has had enough of these things is the next best voyage, as the saying is. Hast thou determined to abide with vice, and hast not experience yet induced thee to fly from this pestilence? For the destruction of the understanding is a pestilence, much more, indeed, than any such corruption and change of this atmosphere which surrounds us. For this corruption is a pestilence of animals so far as they are animals; but the other is a pestilence of men so far as they are men.
注释摘要
这一条的思想推进得非常锋利，从两个层次的生命终局进入一个根本问题：你究竟还要在恶中待多久？ 奥勒留先设想一种人所能达到的最幸福的状态，是在尚未尝过谎言、伪善、奢侈与傲慢时就离开人间。这里的关键不在于“早死”，而在于灵魂尚未被这些毒素浸染就得以完整地退场。这是一个斯多葛式的理想形象：人的主宰官能始终保持着它应有的清明，从未向虚妄低头。但他立刻转入一个完全不同…