As you read this passage you get what amazing insight Marcus Aurelius has. Here he points out five different things that harm the soul or the directing mind. They are also incremental in the way a person acts or behaves.

First when it becomes a separate growth meaning something causes the individual to become distant or possibly resentful. Second when they turn away from another human being. Third when they give in to some sort of pleasure or pain. Fourth doing or saying anything feigned or false.  Fifth whenever it fails to direct any of its actions or impulses to a goal.

This can be seen with people facing chemical dependency. First something triggers them to start using, Second they turn away from family or friends. Third they start to give in to the addiction. Fourth they lie about their addiction and take actions like stealing money from family or employers. And fifth they are controlled by their addiction with no apparent purpose.

But where does this start? What leads to the first thing? How often do you think, “I wish I could change this about myself,” or “Why can’t I be better at that?” Instead of looking for ways to improve your appearance or personality, better your skills, or perfect yourself, it may be time to ponder how much you actually like yourself.