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Steve R.'s avatar

Everywhere that I have read comments on this quote, people focus on the 'don't quit' part and exclude the conditional of the second part 'when the body is still going strong.' Knowing how the Stoics felt about service to mankind and also having a good death, I wonder if Aurelius held the logical inverse to be true, i.e., if the body is not going strong, then it is not disgraceful for the soul to give up. Obviously, Aurelius was, as you mentioned, of questionable constitution, but what mattered was that he was still of use to people. Great use. Even 2000 years later. But if that usefulness to others becomes a burden to self and others, such as through decay of body, then I think Stoics would agree that the solution is on the inside of your wrist. That said, I ask only in contemplation of my own inevitable future.

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