Ch. 10
On 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.786
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 playWell then,
ought you not to play with attention?I choose to
singWhat 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.
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
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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.787 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 work788 (business). Produce 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
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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,789 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;790
whether our associates will despise us, whether we shall
despise them;791 when to jeer (σκῶψαι), and whom to
ridicule; and on what occasion to comply and with
whom; and finally, in complying how to maintain our
own character.792 But wherever you have deviated from
any of these rules, there is damage immediately, not from
any thing 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.793
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