I’ve been wondering about two quotes from Marcus Aurelius, and attempting to figured out how to reconcile them.
The two quote are frequently cited among modern Stoics and goes as follows:
1: “Don’t be overheard complaining…Not even to yourself.”
2: “If It is not right, do not do it. If it is not true, do not say it”
Both are sound advice, however for a certain type of questions, they can be conflicting. Take the question: “How did you sleep last night?” If you where to be honest, you would admit that you slept terrible, but that would be complaining. You also don’t want to lie and say that you had a good nights sleep, because that would not be true. Not answering certainly is an option, but fairly impolite.
The only real answer seem to be: “I can’t complain”, because as Stoic you truly can’t, not to other, and not to yourself.