Look into the one who blames you. When you are blamed or hated — "go to their poor souls (ψυχάρια), pass within, and see what kind they are." The same move as at 9.18 and 9.34: dissecting the "judge" shows that DOGMAthere is no need to worry about his opinion — nothing to be "pulled about" (σπᾶσθαι) by the verdict of a corrupted mind.

And yet — goodwill. The exposure does not turn into contempt: DOGMA"you must be well-disposed toward them, for by nature they are friends" (φύσει φίλοι). The argument is theological: DOGMAthe gods too "help them in all ways" — by dreams, by oracles — toward the things they hold dear (cf. 9.11 — the gods are εὐμενεῖς even to the bad). If the divine does not disdain to care for the erring, neither should you. The governing discipline is assent (to remove the worry over blame), the sustaining one action (gentleness toward the detractor).