《沉思录·卷十·顺应整体》第31条
When thou hast seen Satyron the Socratic,+ think of either Eutyches or Hymen, and when thou hast seen Euphrates, think of Eutychion or Silvanus, and when thou hast seen Alciphron think of Tropaeophorus, and when thou hast seen Xenophon, think of Crito or Severus, and when thou hast looked on thyself, think of any other Caesar, and in the case of every one do in like manner. Then let this thought be in thy mind, Where then are those men? Nowhere, or nobody knows where. For thus continuously thou wilt look at human things as smoke and nothing at all; especially if thou reflectest at the same time that what has once changed will never exist again in the infinite duration of time. But thou, in what a brief space of time is thy existence? And why art thou not content to pass through this short time in an orderly way? What matter and opportunity [for thy activity] art thou avoiding? For what else are all these things, except exercises for the reason, when it has viewed carefully and by examination into their nature the things which happen in life? Persevere then until thou shalt have made these things thy own, as the stomach which is strengthened makes all things its own, as the blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这一段里设计了一种极为具体的心灵练习：每当你见到一个活生生的人，就在心中立刻把他与另一个已经消失的同类人物配对。看到萨堤伦，就想起欧梯克斯或许门；看到欧佛剌忒斯，就想起欧梯基翁或西尔瓦努斯；看到阿尔基弗戎，就想起特洛派俄福洛斯；看到色诺芬，就想起克力同或塞维鲁斯；而当你看向自己，也要立刻想起某一位已经死去的恺撒。他要的不是怀旧，而是通过这种刻意的联…