Attention

When you have remitted your attention for a short time, do not imagine this, that you will recover it when you choose; but let this thought be present to you, that in consequence of the fault committed to-day your affairs must be in a worse condition for all that follows. For first, and what causes most trouble, a habit of not attending is formed in you; then a habit of deferring your attention. And continually from time to time you drive away by deferring it the happiness of life, proper behaviour, the being and living conformably to nature.⁷⁹⁷ If then the procrastination of attention is profitable, the complete omission of attention is more profitable; but if it is not profitable, why do you not maintain your attention constant?—To-day I choose to play—Well then, ought you not to play with attention?—I choose to sing—What then hinders you from doing so with attention? Is there any part of life excepted, to which attention does not extend? For will you do it (any thing in life) worse by using attention, and better by not attending at all? And what else of the things in life is done better by those who do not use attention? Does he who works in wood work better by not attending to it? Does the captain of a ship manage it better by not attending? and is any of the smaller acts done better by inattention? Do you not see that when you have let your mind loose, it is no longer in your power to recall it, either to propriety, or to modesty, or to moderation: but you do every thing that comes into your mind in obedience to your inclinations.

When you let your attention lapse for a short time, do not imagine you can regain it whenever you choose. Instead, remember that because of today’s mistake, your affairs will be worse from then on. First, you form a habit of not paying attention, and this causes the most trouble. Then you form a habit of putting off paying attention. By repeatedly putting it off, you keep pushing away happiness, proper behavior, and being and living in harmony with nature.⁷⁹⁷ So if putting off attention is beneficial, giving it up completely is even more beneficial. But if it is not beneficial, why don’t you pay attention all the time? Today I choose to play. Well then, shouldn’t you play attentively? I choose to sing. What stops you from singing attentively? Is there any part of life that does not call for attention? Will you do anything in life worse by paying attention, and better by paying no attention at all? What else in life do people do better without attention? Does a woodworker work better without paying attention? Does a ship’s captain manage the ship better without paying attention? Is any smaller task done better through inattention? Don’t you see what happens when you let your mind wander? You can no longer bring it back to proper behavior, modesty, or moderation. Instead, you do whatever comes to mind, obeying your inclinations.

To what things then ought I to attend? First to those general (principles) and to have them in readiness, and without them not to sleep, not to rise, not to drink, not to eat, not to converse (associate) with men; that no man is master of another man's will, but that in the will alone is the good and the bad. No man then has the power either to procure for me any good or to involve me in any evil, but I alone myself over myself have power in these things. When then these things are secured to me, why need I be disturbed about external things? What tyrant is formidable, what disease, what poverty, what offence (from any man)? Well, I have not pleased a certain person. Is he then (the pleasing of him) my work, my judgment? No. Why then should I trouble myself about him?—But he is supposed to be some one (of importance)—He will look to that himself; and those who think so will also. But I have one whom I ought to please, to whom I ought to subject myself, whom I ought to obey, God and those who are next to him.⁷⁹⁸ He has placed me with myself, and has put my will in obedience to myself alone, and has given me rules for the right use of it; and when I follow these rules in syllogisms, I do not care for any man who says any thing else (different): in sophistical argument, I care for no man. Why then in greater matters do those annoy me who blame me? What is the cause of this perturbation? Nothing else than because in this matter (topic) I am not disciplined. For all knowledge (science) despises ignorance and the ignorant; and not only the sciences, but even the arts. Produce any shoemaker that you please, and he ridicules the many in respect to his own work⁷⁹⁹ (business). Produce any carpenter.

What, then, should I pay attention to? First, I should keep these general principles ready at all times. I should not sleep, rise, drink, eat, or talk with others without them. No one is master of another person’s will. Good and evil lie in the will alone. No one else can bring me any good or involve me in any evil. In these matters, I alone have power over myself. Once I am secure in these principles, why should external things disturb me? What tyrant, disease, poverty, or offense from anyone can frighten me? Well, I have not pleased someone. Is pleasing him my task? Is it a matter for my judgment? No. Why, then, should I worry about him? But he is supposed to be important. He can attend to that himself, and so can those who think him important. But there is one whom I ought to please, submit to, and obey: God and those next to him.⁷⁹⁸ He has put me in charge of myself and made my will subject to me alone. He has also given me rules for using it rightly. When I follow these rules in syllogisms, I pay no attention to anyone who says otherwise. I pay no attention to anyone in sophistical arguments. Why, then, do those who blame me annoy me in more important matters? What causes this disturbance? Nothing except that I lack discipline in this area. For all knowledge despises ignorance and the ignorant. So do not only the sciences, but even the crafts. Show me any shoemaker you like. He laughs at ordinary people’s opinions about his own work⁷⁹⁹. Show me any carpenter.

First then we ought to have these (rules) in readiness, and to do nothing without them, and we ought to keep the soul directed to this mark, to pursue nothing external, and nothing which belongs to others (or is in the power of others), but to do as he has appointed who has the power; we ought to pursue altogether the things which are in the power of the will, and all other things as it is permitted. Next to this we ought to remember who we are,⁸⁰⁰ and what is our name, and to endeavour to direct our duties towards the character (nature) of our several relations (in life) in this manner: what is the season for singing, what is the season for play, and in whose presence; what will be the consequence of the act;⁸⁰¹ whether our associates will despise us, whether we shall despise them;⁸⁰² when to jeer (σκώψαι), and whom to ridicule; and on what occasion to comply and with whom; and finally, in complying how to maintain our own character.⁸⁰³ But wherever you have deviated from any of these rules, there is damage immediately, not from any thing external, but from the action itself.

First, we should have these rules ready and do nothing without them. We should keep our minds fixed on this goal: pursue nothing external or belonging to others (or under their control). Instead, do as the one in power has appointed. We should pursue fully what is within the power of our will, and pursue everything else only as permitted. Next, we should remember who we are,⁸⁰⁰ and what our name is. We should try to shape our duties to fit our various relationships in life. We should consider when it is appropriate to sing or play, and in whose presence. We should consider the consequences of our actions,⁸⁰¹ whether our companions will despise us, and whether we will despise them.⁸⁰² We should consider when to mock (σκώψαι), whom to ridicule, and when and with whom to comply. Finally, we should consider how to maintain our own character when complying.⁸⁰³ But whenever you stray from any of these rules, you suffer immediate harm. The harm comes not from anything external, but from the action itself.

What then? is it possible to be free from faults, (if you do all this)? It is not possible; but this is possible, to direct your efforts incessantly to being faultless. For we must be content if by never remitting this attention we shall escape at least a few errors. But now when you have said, To-morrow I will begin to attend, you must be told that you are saying this, To-day I will be shameless, disregardful of time and place, mean; it will be in the power of others to give me pain; to-day I will be passionate, and envious. See how many evil things you are permitting yourself to do. If it is good to use attention to-morrow, how much better is it to do so to-day? if to-morrow it is in your interest to attend, much more is it to-day, that you may be able to do so to-morrow also, and may not defer it again to the third day.⁸⁰⁴

What then? Is it possible to be free from faults if you do all this? No, but you can keep trying to be faultless. We must be content if, by never letting up in our attention, we avoid at least a few mistakes. But when you say, “I will start paying attention tomorrow,” you must be told what you are really saying. You are saying, “Today I will be shameless, insensitive to time and place, and mean. I will let others have the power to hurt me. Today I will be ruled by my passions and be envious.” See how many bad things you are allowing yourself to do. If it is good to pay attention tomorrow, how much better is it to do so today? If paying attention tomorrow is in your interest, it is even more in your interest today. Then you can pay attention tomorrow too, instead of putting it off again until the third day.⁸⁰⁴