Thou
sayest, Men cannot admire the sharpness of thy wits.- Be it so: but
there are many other things of which thou canst not say, I am not
formed for them by nature. Show those qualities then which are
altogether in thy power, sincerity, gravity, endurance of labour,
aversion to pleasure, contentment with thy portion and with few
things, benevolence, frankness, no love of superfluity, freedom from
trifling magnanimity. Dost thou not see how many qualities thou art
immediately able to exhibit, in which there is no excuse of natural
incapacity and unfitness, and yet thou still remainest voluntarily
below the mark? Or art thou compelled through being defectively
furnished by nature to murmur, and to be stingy, and to flatter, and
to find fault with thy poor body, and to try to please men, and to
make great display, and to be so restless in thy mind? No, by the
gods: but thou mightest have been delivered from these things long
ago. Only if in truth thou canst be charged with being rather slow
and dull of comprehension, thou must exert thyself about this also,
not neglecting it nor yet taking pleasure in thy dullness.
(podcast episode) (original Greek)
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