When thou hast assumed these names, TERMgood, TERMmodest, true, rational, a man of equanimity, and magnanimous, take care that thou dost not change these names; and if thou shouldst lose them, quickly return to them. And remember that the term Rational was intended to signify a discriminating attention to every several thing and freedom from negligence; and that Equanimity is DOGMAthe voluntary acceptance of the things which are assigned to thee by the common TERMnature; and that Magnanimity is the elevation of the intelligent part above the pleasurable or painful sensations of the TERMflesh, and above DOGMAthat poor thing called fame, and death, and all such things. If, then, thou maintainest thyself in the possession of these names, without desiring to be called by these names by others, thou wilt be another person and wilt enter on another life. For to continue to be such as thou hast hitherto been, and to be tom in pieces and defiled in such a life, is the character of a very stupid man and one overfond of his life, and like those half-devoured fighters with wild beasts, who though covered with wounds and gore, still intreat to be kept to the following day, though they will be exposed in the same state to the same claws and bites. Therefore fix thyself in the possession of these few names: and if thou art able to abide in them, abide as if thou wast removed to certain islands of the Happy. But if thou shalt perceive that thou fallest out of them and dost not maintain thy hold, go courageously into some nook where thou shalt maintain them, or even MOTIFdepart at once from life, not in passion, but with simplicity and freedom and modesty, after doing this one laudable thing at least in thy life, to have gone out of it thus. In order, however, to the remembrance of these names, it will greatly help thee, if thou rememberest the gods, and that they wish not to be flattered, but wish all reasonable beings to be made like themselves; and if thou rememberest that MOTIFwhat does the work of a fig-tree is a fig-tree, and that what does the work of a dog is a dog, and that what does the work of a bee is a bee, and that DOGMAwhat does the work of a man is a man.

Having laid these names upon yourself — TERMgood, TERMself-respecting, truthful, sound-minded, consenting-minded, high-minded — take care never to be renamed; and if you do lose these names, return to them quickly. And remember that "sound-minded" was meant to signify a discriminating attentiveness toward each several thing, and freedom from heedlessness; "consenting-minded," DOGMAthe willing acceptance of what is allotted by the common TERMnature; "high-minded," the stretching of the thinking part above the smooth or rough motion of the TERMflesh, above DOGMAthat scrap of reputation, above death and all such things. If, then, you keep yourself within these names without hankering to be called by them by others, you will be another man and will enter another life. For to go on being such as you have been until now, and to be torn and defiled in such a life, belongs to a man utterly insensible and over-fond of living — like those half-devoured beast-fighters who, covered with wounds and gore, still beg to be kept for tomorrow, to be thrown in that same state to the same claws and teeth. Set yourself, then, within these few names; and if you can stay upon them, stay, as one transferred to some islands of the blest. But if you feel that you are falling out of them and losing your hold, withdraw with good courage into some corner where you will keep hold — or MOTIFgo out of life altogether, not in anger, but simply and freely and with self-respect, having done this one thing at least in your life, to have gone out so. And toward remembering these names it will greatly help you to remember the gods — that they wish not to be flattered, but that all rational beings be made like themselves; and that MOTIFa fig-tree is what does the work of a fig-tree, a dog what does the work of a dog, a bee what does the work of a bee — and DOGMAa man what does the work of a man.