Place in the book. Against anger at others' faults — bodily (unavoidable) and rational (corrigible). The discipline of action.

The bodily "defect" is a necessity. To be angry at foul breath or foul armpits is to be angry at necessity (ἀνάγκη): "such a mouth, such armpits — necessarily such an exhalation follows." As with being angry at a fig-tree for yielding its juice (cf. 05-17, Med. 4.6): to resent a natural property is the same absurdity as "pursuing the impossible."

The rational fault — cure it, don't rage. "But the man has TERMreason and can see where he offends (πλημμελεῖ)." Good — then you too have TERMreason: with your rational disposition (λογικὴ διάθεσις) move his; "show him, remind him." If he heeds, you will "cure" him (θεραπεύσεις), and there is no need of anger (οὐ χρεία ὀργῆς). Reason is a physician (cf. 05-09, philosophy as medicine); people err through ignorance (men do wrong involuntarily), and ignorance is healed by admonition, not fury.

"Neither tragic actor nor whore." A fragmentary motto at the close. Do not play tragedy (the melodrama of indignation), nor fawn (πόρνη — venal flattery): meet another's defect plainly — without posture and without ingratiation, with a single sober word.

Discipline and parallels. The principal discipline is action (how one regards others' faults); the secondary is assent (anger = a false assent to the impression "he ought to be otherwise"). Parallels: 05-17; Med. 2.1; 9.42; 4.6 (the fig-tree); 05-09 (θεραπεία, healing).