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MED. 4.24Discipline of action
George Long · 1862EN · Long

Occupy thyself with few things, says the PERSONphilosopher, if thou wouldst be tranquil. But consider if it would not be better to say, Do what is necessary, and whatever the TERMreason of the animal which is TERMnaturally DOGMAsocial requires, and as it requires. For this brings not only the tranquility which comes from doing well, but also that which comes from doing few things. For the greatest part of what we say and do being unnecessary, if a man takes this away, he will have more leisure and less uneasiness. Accordingly on every occasion a man should ask himself, Is this one of the unnecessary things? Now a man should take away not only unnecessary acts, but also, unnecessary TERMthoughts, for thus superfluous acts will not follow after.

Original · ancient Greek

ʽὈλίγα πρῆσσε, φησίν, εἰ μέλλεις εὐθυμήσειν.ʼ μήποτε ἄμεινον τἀναγκαῖα πράσσειν καὶ ὅσα ὁ τοῦ φύσει πολιτικοῦ ζῴου λόγος αἱρεῖ καὶ ὡς αἱρεῖ; τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ καλῶς πράσσειν εὐθυμίαν φέρει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀλίγα πράσσειν. τὰ πλεῖστα γὰρ ὧν λέγομεν καὶ πράσσομεν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖα ὄντα ἐάν τις περιέλῃ, εὐσχολώτερος καὶ ἀταρακτότερος ἔσται. ὅθεν δεῖ καὶ παῤ ἕκαστα ἑαυτὸν ὑπομιμνῄσκειν· μήτι τοῦτο τῶν οὐκ ἀναγκαίων; δεῖ δὲ μὴ μόνον πράξεις τὰς μὴ ἀναγκαίας περιαιρεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φαντασίας· οὕτως γὰρ οὐδὲ πράξεις παρέλκουσαι ἐπακολουθήσουσιν.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Commentary

Genre and place in the book. The famous "do few things" — but with a correction. Marcus takes Democritus's maxim and refines it, turning a quantitative counsel into a qualitative one.

Democritus's premise. PERSONDemocritus (DK 68 B3, preserved in Plutarch, On Tranquillity of Mind 465c): one who would have εὐθυμία (cheerfulness, tranquillity — the goal of his ethics) should do few things, not exceeding his own nature. Marcus quotes the opening: "Ὀλίγα πρῆσσε…".

Marcus's correction: not "few" but "necessary." μήποτε ἄμεινον — "would it not be better" to do the necessary (τἀναγκαῖα) and what the TERMreason of a DOGMAbeing social by nature (φύσει πολιτικὸν ζῷον) chooses? Then the tranquillity is twofold: that of doing well (καλῶς) and that of doing few things (ὀλίγα). The correction is not pedantry: bare reduction can be done badly too; the criterion is not number but necessity and social fitness.

The technique: "is this necessary?" παῤ ἕκαστα — at each thing, remind yourself: μήτι τοῦτο τῶν οὐκ ἀναγκαίων; — is this one of the unnecessary things? This is the self-check of EXERCISEattention. Most of what we say and do is unnecessary; remove it and you become "more at leisure and less disturbed" (εὐσχολώτερος, ἀταρακτότερος).

Not only acts but impressions. A nicety at the close: one must remove not only unnecessary acts but unnecessary TERMimpressions (φαντασίας) — for idle acts follow upon idle impressions. The discipline of assent (control of the φαντασίαι) feeds the discipline of action: cut away the superfluous in the head, so as not to breed the superfluous in deeds.

The disciplines. The principal one is action: to do the necessary and the socially due. The secondary is assent: to cut away unnecessary impressions at the source.

Parallels. Democritus's "do few things" — DK 68 B3 (Plutarch, De tranq. 465c). To cut the unnecessary, asking "is it necessary?" — 03-04; 04-18; Med. 2.5. To remove unnecessary impressions, not only acts — 04-22; Med. 7.29 (see TERMphantasia). The human as a being social by nature — Aristotle Pol. 1253a; 02-01; 02-16 (see DOGMAoikeiosis).

DisciplineDiscipline of action
Record added2026-06-26
Statuspublished
Read·Book IV
Discipline of action

George Long · 1862· EN · Long

Occupy thyself with few things, says the PERSONphilosopher, if thou wouldst be tranquil. But consider if it would not be better to say, Do what is necessary, and whatever the TERMreason of the animal which is TERMnaturally DOGMAsocial requires, and as it requires. For this brings not only the tranquility which comes from doing well, but also that which comes from doing few things. For the greatest part of what we say and do being unnecessary, if a man takes this away, he will have more leisure and less uneasiness. Accordingly on every occasion a man should ask himself, Is this one of the unnecessary things? Now a man should take away not only unnecessary acts, but also, unnecessary TERMthoughts, for thus superfluous acts will not follow after.

Original · ancient Greek

ʽὈλίγα πρῆσσε, φησίν, εἰ μέλλεις εὐθυμήσειν.ʼ μήποτε ἄμεινον τἀναγκαῖα πράσσειν καὶ ὅσα ὁ τοῦ φύσει πολιτικοῦ ζῴου λόγος αἱρεῖ καὶ ὡς αἱρεῖ; τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ καλῶς πράσσειν εὐθυμίαν φέρει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀλίγα πράσσειν. τὰ πλεῖστα γὰρ ὧν λέγομεν καὶ πράσσομεν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖα ὄντα ἐάν τις περιέλῃ, εὐσχολώτερος καὶ ἀταρακτότερος ἔσται. ὅθεν δεῖ καὶ παῤ ἕκαστα ἑαυτὸν ὑπομιμνῄσκειν· μήτι τοῦτο τῶν οὐκ ἀναγκαίων; δεῖ δὲ μὴ μόνον πράξεις τὰς μὴ ἀναγκαίας περιαιρεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φαντασίας· οὕτως γὰρ οὐδὲ πράξεις παρέλκουσαι ἐπακολουθήσουσιν.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Related6
TERMφαντασίαimpression, presentationTERMλόγοςreason, word, the cosmic LogosTERMφύσιςnatureDOGMAOikeiōsis — appropriation expanding from the self to the rational communityEXERCISEProsochē — attention to the present actionPERSONDemocritusfounder (with Leucippus) of the atomist system; the "laughing philosopher"; for Marcus the bearer of the chief rival cosmology ("atoms" versus "providence")
Commentary

Genre and place in the book. The famous "do few things" — but with a correction. Marcus takes Democritus's maxim and refines it, turning a quantitative counsel into a qualitative one.

Democritus's premise. PERSONDemocritus (DK 68 B3, preserved in Plutarch, On Tranquillity of Mind 465c): one who would have εὐθυμία (cheerfulness, tranquillity — the goal of his ethics) should do few things, not exceeding his own nature. Marcus quotes the opening: "Ὀλίγα πρῆσσε…".

Marcus's correction: not "few" but "necessary." μήποτε ἄμεινον — "would it not be better" to do the necessary (τἀναγκαῖα) and what the TERMreason of a DOGMAbeing social by nature (φύσει πολιτικὸν ζῷον) chooses? Then the tranquillity is twofold: that of doing well (καλῶς) and that of doing few things (ὀλίγα). The correction is not pedantry: bare reduction can be done badly too; the criterion is not number but necessity and social fitness.

The technique: "is this necessary?" παῤ ἕκαστα — at each thing, remind yourself: μήτι τοῦτο τῶν οὐκ ἀναγκαίων; — is this one of the unnecessary things? This is the self-check of EXERCISEattention. Most of what we say and do is unnecessary; remove it and you become "more at leisure and less disturbed" (εὐσχολώτερος, ἀταρακτότερος).

Not only acts but impressions. A nicety at the close: one must remove not only unnecessary acts but unnecessary TERMimpressions (φαντασίας) — for idle acts follow upon idle impressions. The discipline of assent (control of the φαντασίαι) feeds the discipline of action: cut away the superfluous in the head, so as not to breed the superfluous in deeds.

The disciplines. The principal one is action: to do the necessary and the socially due. The secondary is assent: to cut away unnecessary impressions at the source.

Parallels. Democritus's "do few things" — DK 68 B3 (Plutarch, De tranq. 465c). To cut the unnecessary, asking "is it necessary?" — 03-04; 04-18; Med. 2.5. To remove unnecessary impressions, not only acts — 04-22; Med. 7.29 (see TERMphantasia). The human as a being social by nature — Aristotle Pol. 1253a; 02-01; 02-16 (see DOGMAoikeiosis).

DisciplineDiscipline of action
Record added2026-06-26
Statuspublished