Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius

man is worth just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself.

Receive [wealth or prosperity] without arrogance; and be ready to let it go

And indeed he who pursues pleasure as good, and avoids pain as evil, is guilty of impiety.

Things seemingly the most insignificant imaginable are perpetually observed to be necessary conditions to other things of the greatest importance

He who does wrong does wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly acts unjustly to himself, because he makes himself bad

Everything which is earthy turns towards the earth, everything which is liquid flows together, and everything which is of an aerial kind does the same, so that they require something to keep them asunder, and the application of force

Labor not as one who is wretched, nor yet as one who would be pitied or admired; but direct thy will to one thing only—to put thyself in motion and to check thyself, as the social reason requires

If thou art able, correct by teaching those who do wrong; but if thou canst not, remember that indulgence is given to thee for this purpose. And the gods, too, are indulgent to such persons; and for some purposes they even help them to get health, wealth, reputation; so kind they are. And it is in thy power also; or say, who hinders thee

Simple and modest is the work of philosophy. Draw me not aside to insolence and pride

A branch cut off from the adjacent branch must of necessity be cut off from the whole tree also. So too a man when he is separated from another man has fallen off from the whole social community