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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Golden Sayings of Epictetus by Epictetus: buried in the earth for a little space; there it must be hid and
slowly grow, that it may reach maturity. But if it produce the
ear before the jointed stalk, it is imperfect--a thing from the
garden of Adonis. Such a sorry growth art thou; thou hast
blossomed too soon: the winter cold will wither thee away!
CLVI
First of all, condemn the life thou art now leading: but
when thou hast condemned it, do not despair of thyself--be not
like them of mean spirit, who once they have yielded, abandon
themselves entirely and as it were allow the torrent to sweep
them away. No; learn what the wrestling masters do. Has the boy
 The Golden Sayings of Epictetus |