14. Whatever man thou meetest with, immediately say to thyself: What

opinions has this man about good and bad? For if with respect to pleasure and pain and the causes of each, and with respect to fame and ignominy, death and life, he has such and such opinions, it will seem nothing wonderful or strange to me if he does such and such things; and I shall bear in mind that he is compelled to do so.[A]

[A] Antoninus v. 16. Thucydides, iii 10: [Greek: en gar tô diallassonti tês gnômês kai ai diaphorai tôn ergôn kathistantai].

15. Remember that as it is a shame to be surprised if the fig-tree produces figs, so it is to be surprised if the world produces such and such things of which it is productive; and for the physician and the helmsman it is a shame to be surprised if a man has a fever, or if the wind is unfavorable.