40
Give careful heed to all that concerns your life, but above all train your own intellect; for the greatest thing in the smallest compass is a sound mind in a human body.From Periander. See Stob. Flor . iii. 56: Περίανδρος ἐρωτηθείς, τί μέγιστον ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ, εἶπε, φρένες ἀγαθαὶ ἐν σώματι ἀνθρώπου. Strive with your body to be a lover of toil, and with your soul to be a lover of wisdom, in order that with the one you may have the strength to carry out your resolves, and with the other the intelligence to foresee what is for your good.
41
Always when you are about to say anything, first weigh it in your mind; for with many the tongue outruns the thought.From Chilo. See Diog. Laert. i. 70: ἡ γλῶσσά σου μὴ προτρεχέτω τοῦ νοῦ Let there be but two occasions for speech—when the subject is one which you thoroughly know and when it is one on which you are compelled to speak. On these occasions alone is speech better than silence; on all others, it is better to be silent than to speak.
42
Consider that nothing in human life is stable;Cf. Isoc. 1.29; Theog. 585. for then you will not exult overmuch in prosperity, nor grieve overmuch in adversity.Cf. Isoc. 2.39; Isoc. 12.30; Theog. 591 ff.: τολμᾶν χρή, τὰ διδοῦσι θεοὶ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν, ῥηιδίως δὲ φέρειν ἀμφοτέρων τὸ λάχος, μήτο κακοῖσιν ἀσῶντα λίην φρένα, μήτ′ ἀγαθοῖσιν τερφθέντ′ ἐξαπίνης, πρὶν τέλος ἄκρον ἰδεῖν. and Kipling: “If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat these two imposters just the same.” Rejoice over the good things which come to you, but grieve in moderation over the evils which befall you, and in either case do not expose your heart to others;Cf. Theog. 1162. for it were strange to hide away one’s treasure in the house, and yet walk about laying bare one’s feelings to the world.
