《沉思录·卷十二·此刻即全部》第23条
Any one activity, whatever it may be, when it has ceased at its proper time, suffers no evil because it has ceased; nor he who has done this act, does he suffer any evil for this reason, that the act has ceased. In like manner then the whole, which consists of all the acts, which is our life, if it cease at its proper time, suffers no evil for this reason, that it has ceased; nor he who has terminated this series at the proper time, has he been ill dealt with. But the proper time and the limit nature fixes, sometimes as in old age the peculiar nature of man, but always the universal nature, by the change of whose parts the whole universe continues ever young and perfect. And everything which is useful to the universal is always good and in season. Therefore the termination of life for every man is no evil, because neither is it shameful, since it is both independent of the will and not opposed to the general interest, but it is good, since it is seasonable, and profitable to and congruent with the universal. For thus too he is moved by the Deity who is moved in the same manner with the Deity, and moved towards the same thing in his mind.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这里用一个非常清晰的类比展开推论。他说，任何一项活动，不论它是什么，只要它按照适当的时间停止，这件事本身并不会因为停止就遭受什么恶；从事这项活动的人也不会因为这个停止本身而遭恶。然后他把这个道理放大：整个生命无非是所有活动的一个集合体，如果构成它的各项活动到了各自的适当时间停止并不为恶，那么当整个生命这个集合到了它的适当时间而停止时，它本身一样不遭…