A brass balance holds a dark pebble and a pale feather against dusky purple.

Original artwork, not a still

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

If it is not right, do not do it: if it is not true, do not say it.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The saying pairs a rule for action with a rule for speech: refuse wrongdoing and refuse falsehood. Both depend on checking what one is about to contribute to the world. Integrity is presented as restraint, with some things better left undone or unsaid.

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