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Meditations · Marcus Aurelius

XXIX. If this neither be my wicked act, nor an act anyways depending

from any wickedness of mine, and that by it the public is not hurt;

what doth it concern me? And wherein can the public be hurt?

For thou must not altogether be carried by conceit and common opinion:

as for help thou must afford that unto them after thy best ability,

and as occasion shall require, though they sustain damage,

but in these middle or worldly things; but however do not thou

conceive that they are truly hurt thereby: for that is not right.

But as that old foster-father in the comedy, being now to take his leave

doth with a great deal of ceremony, require his foster-child's rhombus,

or rattle-top, remembering nevertheless that it is but a rhombus;

so here also do thou likewise. For indeed what is all this pleading

and public bawling for at the courts? O man, hast thou forgotten

what those things are! yea but they are things that others much

care for, and highly esteem of. Wilt thou therefore be a fool too?

Once I was; let that suffice.