Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: How Socrates looked, when he was fain…
How Socrates looked, when he was fain to gird himself with a skin, Xanthippe his wife having taken away his clothes, and carried them abroad with her, and what he said to his fellows and friends, who were ashamed; and out of respect to him, did retire themselves when they saw him thus decked.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Socrates was caught in an embarrassing situation when his wife took his clothes, yet he did not collapse from shame. Marcus remembers the episode because dignity does not depend on always looking dignified. We all have moments when the image breaks: a presentation goes badly, a child melts down in public, technology fails at the worst time, or we simply look foolish. The question is whether we can remain ourselves once the costume is gone. People may feel awkward for you, but their discomfort need not become yours. Humor helps. So does remembering that embarrassment is a sensation, not a moral verdict. You do not need to defend your ego in every awkward scene. When something humiliating happens today, resist the urge to make it bigger. Take care of what is practical, laugh if you can, and keep your character intact.
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