Off. 1.38.1Sed quō modō in omnī vītā rēctissimē praecipitur, ut perturbātiōnēs fugiāmus, id est mōtūs animī nimiōs ratiōnī nōn optemperantēs, sīc eius modī mōtibus sermō dēbet vacāre, nē aut īra exsistat aut cupiditās aliqua aut pigritia aut ignāvia aut tāle aliquid appāreat, maximēque cūrandum est, ut eōs, quibuscum sermōnem cōnferēmus, et verērī et dīligere videāmur.But just as in all of life it is most rightly prescribed that we should shun disturbances, that is, excessive movements of the mind not obedient to reason, so conversation ought to be free of such movements, so that no anger arises, nor any desire, nor does sloth or cowardice or anything of the kind appear; and we must take the greatest care to seem both to respect and to love those with whom we converse. Off. 1.38.1Obiūrgātiōnēs etiam nōn numquam incidunt necessāriae, in quibus ūtendum est fortasse et vōcis contentiōne maiōre et verbōrum gravitāte ācriōre, id agendum etiam, ut ea facere videāmur īrātī.Rebukes, too, sometimes become necessary, in which we should perhaps use both a greater raising of the voice and a sharper weight of words, and also act so as to seem to be doing this in anger.
Off. 1.38.1Sed, ut ad ūrendum et secandum, sīc ad hoc genus castīgandī rārō invītīque veniēmus nec umquam nisi necessāriō, sī nūlla reperiētur alia medicīna;But, as with cautery and surgery, so we shall come to this kind of chastisement rarely and reluctantly, and never unless it is necessary, if no other remedy is to be found; Off. 1.38.1sed tamen īra procul absit,cum quā nihil rēctē fierī, nihil cōnsīderātē potest.but still let anger be far away, for with it nothing can be done rightly, nothing with deliberation. Off. 1.38.137Magnam autem partem clēmentī castīgātiōne licet ūtī, gravitāte tamen adiūnctā, ut sevēritās adhibeāturetcontumēlia repellātur, atque etiam illud ipsum, quod acerbitātis habet obiūrgātiō, significandum est, ipsīus id causā, quī obiūrgētur, esse susceptum.For the most part, however, one may use mild reproof, yet joined with seriousness, so that severity is applied and insult kept away; and even that very harshness which a rebuke contains must be shown to have been undertaken for the sake of the person rebuked. Off. 1.38.137Rēctum est autem etiam in illīs contentiōnibus, quae cum inimīcissimīs fīunt, etiamsī nōbīs indigna audiāmus, tamen gravitātem retinēre, īrācundiam pellere.It is right, moreover, even in those disputes which take place with our bitterest enemies, even if we hear things unworthy of us, still to keep our dignity and drive away anger.
Off. 1.38.137Quae enim cum aliquā perturbātiōne fīunt, ea nec cōnstanter fierī possunt neque iīs, quī adsunt, probārī.For what is done with any disturbance can neither be done consistently nor win the approval of those present. Off. 1.38.137Dēfōrme etiam est dē sē ipsum praedicāre falsa praesertim et cum irrīsiōne audientium imitārī mīlitem glōriōsum.It is also unseemly to boast about oneself, especially falsely, and to imitate the braggart soldier to the mockery of the listeners.