Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 5

Sic fac, inquit, omnia, tamquam spectet Epicurus. Prodest sine dubio custodem sibi inposuisse et habere, quem respicias, quem interesse cogitationibus tuis iudices. Hoc quidem longe magnificentius est, sic vivere tamquam sub alicuius boni viri ac semper praesentis oculis, sed ego etiam hoc contentus sum, ut sic facias, quaecumque facies, tamquam spectet aliquis; omnia nobis mala solitudo persuadet.

« Agis en tout comme si Épicure te regardait. » Il est utile sans doute de s’être imposé un surveillant, d’avoir un modèle à contempler, qui intervienne et se fasse sentir dans toutes tes pensées. Il est bien plus admirable encore de vivre comme en la présence continuelle et sous les yeux de quelque homme de bien ; mais, selon moi, c’est assez déjà d’agir en tout ce que l’on fait comme sous les yeux d’un témoin quelconque. La solitude encourage à tout ce qui est mal.

“Do everything as if Epicurus were watching you.” There is no real doubt that it is good for one to have appointed a guardian over oneself, and to have someone whom you may look up to, someone whom you may regard as a witness of your thoughts. It is, indeed, nobler by far to live as you would live under the eyes of some good man, always at your side; but nevertheless I am content if you only act, in whatever you do, as you would act if anyone at all were looking on; because solitude prompts us to all kinds of evil.