New Delhi, May 28 -- Marcus Aurelius begins the day not with fantasy, but with preparation. He does not tell himself that everyone will be kind, fair, grateful or reasonable. Instead, he prepares his mind for difficult people before they appear. This is not pessimism; it is emotional discipline.

The deeper lesson is that disappointment often comes from unrealistic expectations. If we expect every person to be thoughtful, honest, generous and calm, we will spend the day offended. Marcus teaches the opposite: expect human weakness, then choose not to become weak in response.

This quote is also about self-command. Other people may be rude, jealous, selfish or dishonest, but their behaviour does not have to determine ours. A person may prov...