Genre and place in the book. On the gain of not being curious about others. After the encouragement to "become good" (04-16, 04-17), a practical turn: where to direct one's attention. And at the close, an image-quotation about running on the straight line.

εὐσχολία — the leisure gained. "How much leisure he gains" — not idleness, but freed attention: by ceasing to watch the words, deeds, and thoughts of one's neighbour, one frees the ruling part for one's own task. The verbatim twin is 03-04: "do not waste the remainder of your life in thoughts about others, unless you refer them to some common benefit."

Only one's own — δίκαιον καὶ ὅσιον. The single object of watch is one's own act, that it be just (δίκαιον) and holy (ὅσιον). Another's character ("μέλαν ἦθος," a black character) is not my business, nor an object for my judging.

A textual note. "† κατὰ τὸν ἀγαθόν" carries the crux-dagger: Long and Rogovin read "as Agathon says," the next clause being a quotation from the tragedian (for his biography see the footnote to the text); the alternative is "after the pattern of the good man."

The image of the running-track. "ἐπὶ τῆς γραμμῆς τρέχειν ὀρθόν, μὴ διερριμμένον" — to run straight along the line, not scattered: the image of a runner on the track. It is the positive pole to drift and circling: there, motion without a vector (the scattering, διερριμμένον); here, a straight run along one's own line. In practice this is EXERCISEattention to one's own task, undistracted by others'.

The disciplines. The principal one is action: one's own just and holy task. The secondary is assent: not to occupy the ruling part with others' words and deeds.

Parallels. Not wasting life on others — 03-04; Med. 2.8. Going straight, without deviating — Med. 5.3; cf. aimless-wandering. Looking only at one's own act, that it be just and holy — Med. 12.1. "As Agathon says" — a quotation (the tragedian Agathon, TrGF 39; a textual crux).