But when we see that reason cannot completely overcome and dispel those thick clouds which affections and passions raise in our souls, nor prevent those agitations and troubles from arising from time to time which stem from our needs and anxieties, we must at least, with the aid of philosophy, ensure that these foreign impressions do not take the upper hand, and that, like a ship which, battered by the storm, casts its ballast and unburdens itself of everything that might weigh it down, we rid ourselves of all those superfluous and troublesome thoughts that fatigue and torment us. We must consider that most of the things that afflict and tear us apart are not true evils, but merely our opinion of them, and that our judgments make them so. That is why it is important to work on forming a just idea of things, and to accustom ourselves to regarding as real evils only those that truly are, and to despise all others as vain appearances.

But the surest and most powerful remedy for procuring peace of mind is to retire within oneself, not to attach oneself to external goods, to be content with little, and never to desire more than what nature requires. For nature has made us neither to always have more, nor to amass riches, nor to enjoy honors and glory; she has made us to live according to reason and to cultivate virtue. He who limits his desires to his needs is the richest and happiest of men: he needs nothing more, because he possesses within himself all that he requires. On the contrary, he who always seeks to increase his wealth never finds rest; he is always restless and agitated, because his desires are insatiable. That is why one must learn to be content with what one has, and to be satisfied with little: for a little is enough to live on, and the superfluous serves only to torment us.

We must also think of avoiding envy and jealousy, which are the greatest enemies of peace of mind. For the envious person can never be tranquil, because he suffers from the good fortune of others and is vexed by their prosperity. He turns his own thoughts against himself, and consumes himself with spite upon seeing the happiness of his neighbor. Jealousy is a slow poison that gnaws at the heart and leaves it not a single moment of peace. That is why one must carefully distance oneself from it, and rejoice in the good of others as one's own. The benevolence and joy one feels at the happiness of others are among the best means of procuring tranquility of soul.

But it is not enough to flee the passions that trouble us; we must also cultivate the virtues that are useful to us in living at peace with ourselves and with others. Gentleness, patience, modesty, simplicity, and temperance are the guardians of serenity of soul. He who possesses these virtues is inaccessible to trouble and anger; he does not fly into a rage over trifles, and he does not let himself be cast down by reverses. He carries within himself the source of his joy, and finds subjects of contentment everywhere. He knows that everything passes and nothing lasts, and that consequently one must not attach oneself to anything with too much ardor. He looks upon the gifts of fortune as loans that must one day be returned, and he enjoys them only with moderation, without setting his heart upon them.

These are the principal aids that philosophy offers us to help us preserve peace of mind. We must put them into practice every day, and not be content with knowing them in theory. For practice alone can make us feel their effects, and give us that inner peace we all seek. It is a treasure that we must ceaselessly cultivate, and that will follow us everywhere, even in the greatest adversities. Tranquility of soul is the sovereign good; it makes us happy and allows us to taste a pure and lasting joy that neither riches, nor honors, nor pleasures can give us.