16.  Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.  Dye it then with a continuous series of such thoughts as these:  for instance, that where a man can live, there he can also live well.  But he must live in a palace; well then, he can also live well in a palace.  And again, consider that for whatever purpose each thing has been constituted, for this it has been constituted, and towards this it is carried; and its end is in that towards which it is carried; and where the end is, there also is the advantage and the good of each thing.  Now the good for the reasonable animal is society; for that we are made for society has been shown above.[A] Is it not plain that the inferior exists for the sake of the superior?  But the things which have life are superior to those which have not life, and of those which have life the superior are those which have reason.

    [A] ii. 1.

17.  To seek what is impossible is madness:  and it is impossible that the bad should not do something of this kind.

18.  Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear.  The same things happen to another, and either because he does not see that they have happened, or because he would show a great spirit, he is firm and remains unharmed.  It is a shame then that ignorance and conceit should be stronger than wisdom.

19.  Things themselves touch not the soul, not in the least degree; nor have they admission to the soul, nor can they turn or move the soul:  but the soul turns and moves itself alone, and whatever judgments it may think proper to make, such it makes for itself the things which present themselves to it.

20.  In one respect man is the nearest thing to me, so far as I must do good to men and endure them.  But so far as some men make themselves obstacles to my proper acts, man becomes to me one of the things which are indifferent, no less than the sun or wind or a wild beast.  Now it is true that these may impede my action, but they are no impediments to my affects and disposition, which have the power of acting conditionally and changing:  for the mind converts and changes every hindrance to its activity into an aid; and so that which is a hindrance is made a furtherance to an act; and that which is an obstacle on the road helps us on this road.

21.  Reverence that which is best in the universe; and this is that which makes use of all things and directs all things.  And in like manner also reverence that which is best in thyself; and this is of the same kind as that.  For in thyself also, that which makes use of everything else is this, and thy life is directed by this.

22.  That which does no harm to the state, does no harm to the citizen.  In the case of every appearance of harm apply this rule:  if the state is not harmed by this, neither am I harmed.  But if the state is harmed, thou must not be angry with him who does harm to the state.  Show him where his error is.