1. If you would advance in philosophy you must abandon such thoughts as, If I neglect my affairs I shall not have the means of living. If I do not correct my servant he will be good for nothing. For it is better to die of hunger, having lived without grief and fear, than to live with a troubled spirit amid abundance. And it is better to have a bad servant than an afflicted mind.
1. If you want to make progress in philosophy, you must give up thoughts like these. If I neglect my affairs, I won’t have enough to live on. If I don’t discipline my servant, he will be useless. It is better to die of hunger after living without grief and fear than to live in abundance with anxiety. And it is better to have a bad servant than a troubled mind.
2. Make a beginning then in small matters. Is a little of your oil spilt, or a little wine stolen? Then say to yourself, For so much peace is bought, this is the price of tranquillity. For nothing can be gained without paying for it. And when you call your servant, bethink you that he may not hear, or, hearing, may not obey. For him, indeed, that is not well, but for you it is altogether well that he have not the power to trouble your mind.
2. Start, then, with small things. Has a little of your oil spilled, or has a little wine been stolen? Then say to yourself, This is what peace costs. This is the price of tranquility. Nothing can be gained without paying for it. And when you call your servant, remember that he may not hear you. Or he may hear you but not obey. That is not good for him. But it is entirely good for you that he has no power to disturb your peace of mind.