Goals... [Title too short, but that's still the title]

@Nightwings You're missing the point. Please reread the final sentence.
It's not about what othets think of you. It's about living a life of integrity.

@daydeeo I can read just fine, and I am pretty good at thinking too, and what he perceived as living a life of integrity, is exactly that: Living for approval of others, instead of for oneself; to be a social creature. How do you define integrity? Like he mentioned, it excludes self-indulgence.

This was written from an extremist point of view, and going too far in any one direction is unhealthy to the mind, and to society. I wouldn't want to be with someone who couldn't blush. 😸

@Nightwings It still seems to me that you are only reading half of what he is saying.
"...all your thoughts are guileless and kindly, the thoughts of a sociable creature... untouched by rivalry, malice, suspicion...." How is this extreme? How is this in any way objectionable?

@daydeeo I agree that malice and suspicion are poor character traits to have, though rivalry isn't really, is it? But I am talking about the meaning of the writing as a whole, and it also says: "A sociable creature who disdains pleasurable or any kind of self-indulgent fantasies." That is very strong language. My point is that, every word taken into consideration, he wants you to be a purely practical being, whilst kind too. It is good to be kind, but as someone who loves fictional literature, I have disdain for his advice to never think up pleasurable or foolish fantasies, and instead to be ready to socialize any minute for the shallow approval of looking good to others. I find it hypocritical, and this mindset can ruin creative people completely. This is the leading mindset in most modern societies, yet this man has spelled it out in the most extreme way possible, and I despise his toxic words. I am not arguing with his point that we should be kind, because that is self-explanatory, I am arguing against the mindset he wishes to impose on others.

@Nightwings "A sociable creature who disdains pleasurable or any kind of self-indulgent fantasies."
He was a Stoic, after all, hence his disdain for self-indulgence.
I would strongly disagree with you that this is "the leading mindset in most societies", and would argue that the exact opposite is true.
Since the 60's, the prevailing mindset has been "if it feels good, do it"; the Me Generation, etc., etc.
I'm no Stoic, I enjoy pleasurable experiences, but the pendulum has swung far, far over to the self-indulgent side.

@daydeeo That sounds more like you spent too much time on social media to be frank. Self-indulgence has always been looked down on. Just like you, with your social media influence, you are the same as most people.

@Nightwings Marcus was forever proposing to himself unattainable goals of conduct.

I don't understand what you're trying to say here.
Although the negative tone is clear. So much for a respectful conversation, I guess.@Nightwings

@JohnnySpot
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a Heaven for?
~ Robert Browning

@daydeeo This was written long before they had those extension grabbers.

@JohnnySpot Skyhooks, you mean? True.

@daydeeo We used to tell the new hires to go ask the foreman for a skyhook.(The word didn't exist back then, there was no such tool)
Sometimes we'd tell them to ask for a nail puller, also no such tool in the field.

@JohnnySpot except for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's three-pointers thrown from the opposite arm facing the basket.

@JohnnySpot When I was in 6th grade, there were two male teachers in our school. Mr. Wright once sent a student over to ask Mr. Engen for a skyhook. I don't recall exactly when the joke dawned on me.

@JohnnySpot I just remembered (it's been 60 years) that Mr. Engen sent the student back Mr. Wright with a request for a line puller.

@daydeeo New hires would always touch their faces with dirty gloves.

@daydeeo My apologies, I did not mean to be disrespectful to you, I enjoyed this conversation. I'm not always the most articulate person, I just meant that people aren't actually the way they're portrayed online, and the "me generation" is about selfishness and entitlement, not creative thought and genuine sensitivity.

@Nightwings Apology accepted and I agree with you.