perhaps the desire of the thing called fame will torment thee.
--See how soon everything is forgotten, and look at the chaos
of infinite time on each side of [the present], and the emptiness of
applause, and the changeableness and want of judgment in those who
pretend to give praise, and the narrowness of the space within which it
is circumscribed [and be quiet at last]. For the whole earth is a point,
and how small a nook in it is this thy dwelling, and how few are there in
it, and what kind of people are they who will praise thee.

This then remains: Remember to retire into this little territory of thy
own, and above all do not distract or strain thyself, but be free, and
look at things as a man, as a human being, as a citizen, as a mortal. But
among the things readiest to thy hand to which thou shalt turn, let there
be these, which are two. One is that things do not touch the soul, for
they are external and remain immovable; but our perturbations come only
from the opinion which is within. The other is that all these things
which thou seest, change immediately and will no longer be; and
constantly bear in mind how many of these changes thou hast already
witnessed. The universe is transformation: life is opinion.

4. If our intellectual part is common, the reason also, in respect of
which we are rational beings, is common: if this is so, common also is
the reason which commands us what to do, and what not to do; if this is
so, there is a common law also; if this is so, we are fellow-citizens; if
this is so, we are members of some political community; if this is so,
the world is in a manner a state. For of what other common political
community will any one say that the whole human race are members? And
from thence, from this common political community comes also our very
intellectual faculty and reasoning faculty and our capacity for law; or
whence do they come? For as my earthly part is a portion given to me from