The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.
[Τὴν ὑποληπτικὴν δύναμιν σέβε. ἐν ταύτῃ τὸ πᾶν, ἵνα ὑπόληψις τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ σου μηκέτι ἐγγένηται ἀνακόλουθος τῇ φύσει καὶ τῇ τοῦ λογικοῦ ζῴου κατασκευῇ]
Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) Roman emperor (161-180), Stoic philosopher
Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 3, ch. 9 (3.9) (AD 161-180) [tr. Collier (1701)]
(Source)
(Source (Greek)). Alternate translations:Use thine opiniative faculty with all honour and respect, for in her indeed is all: that thy opinion do not beget in thy understanding anything contrary to either nature, or the proper constitution of a rational creature.
[tr. Casaubon (1634), 3.10]Cultivate with all care that power which forms opinions: All depends on this, that no opinion thy soul entertains, be inconsistent with the nature and constitution of the rational animals.
[tr. Hutcheson/Moor (1742)]Pay a reverential regard to that faculty by which you form your opinions; for every thing depends on this, that no opinion be fostered in your breast that is not consonant to nature and to the condition of a rational being.
[tr. Graves (1792)]Reverence the faculty which produces opinion. On this faculty it entirely depends whether there shall exist in thy ruling part any opinion inconsistent with nature and the constitution of the rational animal.
[tr. Long (1862)]Hold in honor your opinionative faculty, for this alone is able to prevent any opinion from originating in your guiding principle that is contrary to Nature or the proper constitution of a rational creature.
[tr. Collier/Zimmern (1887)]Treat reverently your assumptive faculty: by it and it alone is your Inner Self secured against assumptions not in harmony with nature and with the constitution of a rational creature.
[tr. Rendall (1898)]Hold in honour the faculty which forms opinions. It depends on this faculty alone that no opinion your soul entertains be inconsistent with the nature and constitution of the rational being.
[tr. Hutcheson/Chrystal (1902)]Hold sacred thy capacity for forming opinions. With that it rests wholly that thy ruling Reason should never admit any opinion out of harmony with Nature, and with the constitution of a rational creature.
[tr. Haines (Loeb) (1916)]Reverence your faculty of judgement. On this it entirely rests that your governing self no longer has a judgement disobedient to Nature and to the estate of a reasonable being.
[tr. Farquharson (1944)]Treat with respect the power you have to form an opinion. By it alone can the helmsman within you avoid forming opinions that are at variance with nature and with the constitution of a reasonable being.
[tr. Staniforth (1964)]Venerate your faculty of judgement. For it depends entirely on this that there should never arise in your governing faculty any judgement that fails to accord with nature or with the constitution of a rational being.
[tr. Hard (1997 ed.)]Your ability to control your thoughts -- treat it with respect. It’s all that protects your mind from false perceptions -- false to your nature, and that of all rational beings. [tr. Hays (2003)]Revere your power of judgement. All rests on this to make sure that your directing mind no longer entertains any judgement which fails to agree with the nature or the constitution of a rational being.
[tr. Hammond (2006)]Revere your capacity for making decisions. Everything depends on this alone, so that your guiding part does not make a decision that is contrary either to Nature or to your makeup as a being endowed with reason.
[tr. Needleman/Piazza (2008)]Venerate your faculty of judgement. For it depends entirely on this that there should never arise in your ruling centre any judgement that fails to accord with nature or with the constitution of a rational being.
[tr. Hard (2011 ed.)]Revere your capacity for judgement. Everything depends on this to ensure that there no longer arises in your ruling centre a judgement which fails to follow nature and the constitution of a rational being.
[tr. Gill (2013)]
