‘A spirit which is utterly courageous and noble is conspicuous especially for two features. The first of these is disregard for external circumstances, springing from the conviction that a man ought to revere or aspire to or seek nothing except what is honourable and proper, and should not lie down before any man or emotional disturbance or twist of fortune. The second is that once you have attained this cast of mind which I have mentioned, you should embark on activities which are of course important and highly useful, but are in addition extremely taxing, full of toils and dangers which threaten both life and the many strands that compose it.
‘All the glamour and distinction and, I may add, the material profit are found in the second of these, whereas the root cause and means of a man’s becoming great lies in the first, for it is that which engenders the attitude which makes spirits rise high and become indifferent to human affairs. This attitude is manifest in two ways: first, by regarding as a good only what is honourable, and second, by being free of all mental disturbance, for we must consider it characteristic of the brave and noble spirit to think little of the things which most men reckon special and glorious, and to despise them with the steady and unflinching eye of reason. As for the apparently harsh experiences which on numerous and varied occasions affect the human condition throughout life, it is the mark of the mature spirit and the great resolution it shows to endure them in such a way as not to abandon either the life of nature or the dignity of the philosopher.
‘It is inconsistent for the man not undermined by fear to be undermined by greed, or for the man demonstrably unconquered by toil to be conquered by base pleasure. So these vices are to be avoided, and likewise we should eschew greed for money, for nothing is so characteristic of the narrow and petty spirit as love of riches, and nothing is more honourable and splendid than contempt for the money you do not possess, and the application towards benevolence and generosity of that which you have. You should also be chary of greed for glory, as I said earlier, for it deprives men of that freedom which the high-minded individual should strain every nerve to defend … You should clear your mind of all troubling emotions—desire and fear, anguish and excessive pleasure and anger—so that you may acquire the mental tranquillity and freedom from anxiety which make for steadfastness of purpose and high dignity.’ (On Duties, Book I).
Notes in the Margins of the Days 