Seneca kindly supplied a model of the daily accounting to oneself suggested above: See that you don’t do that again; I’ll pardon you this time. In that discussion you spoke too aggressively. After this, don’t get into arguments with ignorant people. If they’ve never learned, they don’t want to learn. You criticized that one fellow more candidly than you should have; as a result you didn’t correct him, you just offended him. From here on, watch out – not so much that what you’re saying is true, but that the person you’re talking to can stand the truth. Seneca, On Anger 3.36.4
