Besides, which would you rather have, a sum of money or a faithful and honorable friend?

Chapter XXIV, Enchiridion

Let not such considerations as these distress you: “I shall live in discredit and be nobody anywhere.” For if discredit be an evil, you can no more be involved in evil through another than in baseness. Is it any business of yours, then, to get power or to be admitted to an entertainment? By no means. How then, after all, is this discredit? And how it is true that you will be nobody anywhere when you ought to be somebody in those things only which are within your own power, in which you may be of the greatest consequence? “But my friends will be unassisted.” What do you mean by “unassisted”? They will not have money from you, nor will you make them Roman citizens. Who told you, then, that these are among the things within our own power, and not rather the affairs of others? And who can give to another the things which he himself has not? “Well, but get them, then, that we too may have a share.” If I can get them with the preservation of my own honor and fidelity and self-respect, show me the way and I will get them; but if you require me to lose my own proper good, that you may gain what is no good, consider how unreasonable and foolish you are. Besides, which would you rather have, a sum of money or a faithful and honorable friend? Rather assist me, then, to gain this character than require me to do those things by which I may lose it. Well, but my country, say you, as far as depends upon me, will be unassisted. Here, again, what assistance is this you mean? It will not have porticos nor baths of your providing? And what signifies that? Why, neither does a smith provide it with shoes, nor a shoemaker with arms. It is enough if everyone fully performs his own proper business. And were you to supply it with another faithful and honorable citizen, would not he be of use to it? Yes. Therefore neither are you yourself useless to it. “What place, then,” say you, “shall I hold in the state?” Whatever you can hold with the preservation of your fidelity and honor. But if, by desiring to be useful to that, you lose these, how can you serve your country when you have become faithless and shameless?

Thoughts

a.“I shall live in discredit and be nobody anywhere.” People taking your character away and you being unknown. Stoic suggest that the smear campaign is tolerable because it is a non controllable. Our reaction to the latter defines the behaviours observed.

b. Can not be involved in doing evil through others and not directly committing the act yourself.

c. You ought to be ‘somebody in those things only which are within your own power, in which you may be of the greatest consequence.’

d. You can give what you have not got. Can not help friends with money and status if you do not have same. Can not pursue these as they are outside your control and power. In the gifts of others.

e.’If I can get them with the preservation of my own honor and fidelity and self-respect, show me the way and I will get them.’ Only seek and try to obtain office, status and power if you remain authentic, honest and loyal, true to yourself.

f. Do not lose your proper ‘good’chasing material items, positions and status. Be principled with values.

g.’Besides, which would you rather have, a sum of money or a faithful and honorable friend?’ Should I go and get success at any cost so that I may dispense gifts to my friends. If I sell out on locality and honour to achieve, how then can I be loyal and honourable to my friends.

h. Are you a friend if I must give you gifts to appease, humour or impress you?

i.’It is enough if everyone fully performs his own proper business.’ To be a good citizen do your work well. Stick with your area of expertise.

j. Only do those jobs that you preserve your integrity, honour and fidelity. If you compromise yourself to obtain anything you have sold yourself short.