§8.1.1Καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ ἀκενόδοξον φέρει, ὅτι οὐκέτι δύνασαι τὸν βίον ὅλον ἢ τόν γε ἀπὸ νεότητος φιλόσοφον βεβιωκέναι, ἀλλὰ πολλοῖς τε ἄλλοις καὶ αὐτὸς σεαυτῷ δῆλος γέγονας πόρρω φιλοσοφίας ὤν.
This also leads to freedom from vanity, namely, that you can no longer have lived your whole life, or at least the part since youth, as a philosopher, but it has become clear both to many others and to yourself that you are far from philosophy.
πέφυρσαι οὖν, ὥστε τὴν μὲν δόξαν τὴν τοῦ φιλοσόφου κτήσασθαι οὐκέτι σοι ῥᾴδιον· ἀνταγωνίζεται δὲ καὶ ἡ ὑπόθεσις.
You are thus muddled, so that to acquire the reputation of a philosopher is no longer easy for you; and your station in life also opposes it.
εἴπερ οὖν ἀληθῶς ἑώρακας ποῦ κεῖται τὸ πρᾶγμα, τὸ μὲν τί δόξεις ἄφες, ἀρκέσθητι δέ, εἰ κἂν τὸ λοιπὸν τοῦ βίου ὅσον δήποτε, ὡς ἡ σὴ φύσις θέλει, βιώσῃ.
If, then, you have truly seen where the matter lies, dismiss what reputation you will have, and be content if you shall live what remains of your life, however much it may be, as your own nature wills.
κατανόησον οὖν τί θέλει, καὶ ἄλλο μηδέν σε περισπάτω·
Understand then what it wills, and let nothing else distract you.
πεπείρασαι γὰρ περὶ πόσα πλανηθεὶς οὐδαμοῦ εὗρες τὸ εὖ ζῆν, οὐκ ἐν συλλογισμοῖς, οὐκ ἐν πλούτῳ, οὐκ ἐν δόξῃ, οὐκ ἐν ἀπολαύσει, οὐδαμοῦ.
For you have learned by experience how many things you have wandered among without ever finding the good life—not in syllogisms, not in wealth, not in reputation, not in enjoyment, nowhere.
ποῦ οὖν ἐστιν;
Where is it then?
ἐν τῷ ποιεῖν ἃ ἐπιζητεῖ ἡ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φύσις.
In doing what human nature demands.
πῶς οὖν ταῦτα ποιήσεις;
How then will you do this?
ἐὰν δόγματα ἔχῃς ἀφ’ ὧν αἱ ὁρμαὶ καὶ αἱ πράξεις.
If you have principles from which impulses and actions proceed.
τίνα δόγματα;
What principles?
περὶ ἀγαθῶν καὶ κακῶν, ὡς οὐδενὸς μὲν ἀγαθοῦ ὄντος ἀνθρώπῳ ὃ οὐχὶ ποιεῖ δίκαιον, σώφρονα, ἀνδρεῖον, ἐλεύθερον, οὐδενὸς δὲ κακοῦ ὃ οὐχὶ ποιεῖ τἀναντία τοῖς εἰρημένοις.
Concerning goods and evils: that nothing is good for a human being which does not make him just, temperate, courageous, free, and nothing is evil which does not make him the opposite of these.