duties...............

 

You are not an isolated entity, but a unique, irreplaceable part of the cosmos.  Don't forget this.  You are an essential piece of the puzzle of humanity.  Each of us is a part of a vast, intricate, and perfectly ordered human community.  But where do you fit into this web of humanity?  To whom are you beholden?

     Look for and come to understand your connections to other people.  We properly locate ourselves within the cosmic scheme by recognizing our natural relations to one another and thereby identifying our duties.  Our duties naturally emerge from such fundamental relations as our families, neighborhoods, workplaces, our state or nation.  Make it your regular habit to consider your roles—parent, child, neighbor, citizen, leader—and the natural duties that arise from them.  Once you know who you are and to whom you are linked, you will know what to do.

-Epictetus, A Manual for Living