Thereforethegoodmanshouldbealoverofselfforhewillbothhimselfprofitbydoingnobleacts，andwillbenefithisfellows，butthewickedmanshouldnot；forhewillhurtbothhimselfandhisneighbours，followingashedoesevilpassions。Forthewickedman，whathedoesclasheswithwhatheoughttodo，butwhatthegoodmanoughttodohedoes；forreasonineachofitspossessorschooseswhatisbestforitself，andthegoodmanobeyshisreason。Itistrueofthegoodmantoothathedoesmanyactsforthesakeofhisfriendsandhiscountry，andifnecessarydiesforthem；forhewillthrowawaybothwealthandhonoursandingeneralthegoodsthatareobjectsofcompetition，gainingforhimselfnobility；sincehewouldpreferashortperiodofintensepleasuretoalongoneofmildenjoyment，atwelvemonthofnoblelifetomanyyearsofhumdrumexistence，andonegreatandnobleactiontomanytrivialones。Nowthosewhodieforothersdoubtlessattainthisresult；itisthereforeagreatprizethattheychooseforthemselves。Theywillthrowawaywealthtooonconditionthattheirfriendswillgainmore；forwhileaman\'sfriendgainswealthhehimselfachievesnobility；heisthereforeassigningthegreatergoodtohimself。Thesametooistrueofhonourandoffice；allthesethingshewillsacrificetohisfriend；
forthisisnobleandlaudableforhimself。Rightlythenishethoughttobegood，sincehechoosesnobilitybeforeallelse。Buthemayevengiveupactionstohisfriend；itmaybenoblertobecomethecauseofhisfriend\'sactingthantoacthimself。Inalltheactions，therefore，thatmenarepraisedfor，thegoodmanisseentoassigntohimselfthegreatershareinwhatisnoble。Inthissense，then，ashasbeensaid，amanshouldbealoverofself；butinthesenseinwhichmostmenareso，heoughtnot。
9
Itisalsodisputedwhetherthehappymanwillneedfriendsornot。Itissaidthatthosewhoaresupremelyhappyandself-sufficienthavenoneedoffriends；fortheyhavethethingsthataregood，andthereforebeingself-sufficienttheyneednothingfurther，whileafriend，beinganotherself，furnisheswhatamancannotprovidebyhisowneffort；whencethesaying\'whenfortuneiskind，whatneedoffriends？\'Butitseemsstrange，whenoneassignsallgoodthingstothehappyman，nottoassignfriends，whoarethoughtthegreatestofexternalgoods。Andifitismorecharacteristicofafriendtodowellbyanotherthantobewelldoneby，andtoconferbenefitsischaracteristicofthegoodmanandofvirtue，anditisnoblertodowellbyfriendsthanbystrangers，thegoodmanwillneedpeopletodowellby。Thisiswhythequestionisaskedwhetherweneedfriendsmoreinprosperityorinadversity，ontheassumptionthatnotonlydoesamaninadversityneedpeopletoconferbenefitsonhim，butalsothosewhoareprosperingneedpeopletodowellby。Surelyitisstrange，too，tomakethesupremelyhappymanasolitary；fornoonewouldchoosethewholeworldonconditionofbeingalone，sincemanisapoliticalcreatureandonewhosenatureistolivewithothers。Thereforeeventhehappymanliveswithothers；forhehasthethingsthatarebynaturegood。Andplainlyitisbettertospendhisdayswithfriendsandgoodmenthanwithstrangersoranychancepersons。Thereforethehappymanneedsfriends。
Whatthenisitthatthefirstschoolmeans，andinwhatrespectisitright？Isitthatmostidentifyfriendswithusefulpeople？Ofsuchfriendsindeedthesupremelyhappymanwillhavenoneed，sincehealreadyhasthethingsthataregood；norwillheneedthosewhomonemakesone\'sfriendsbecauseoftheirpleasantness，orhewillneedthemonlytoasmallextentforhislife，beingpleasant，hasnoneedofadventitiouspleasure；andbecausehedoesnotneedsuchfriendsheisthoughtnottoneedfriends。