THE REPLY OF AN ELDER TO TWO PHILOSOPHERS
Two philosophers came to an elder and asked him to say something beneficial to them. The elder remained silent. Again, the philosophers spoke: "Will you not answer us, father?"
The elder said to them, "That you are skilled in the use of words, I am fully aware, but I do testify to you that you are not truly lovers of wisdom. How long will you cultivate the art of speech, you who have no understanding of what it is to speak? Let the object of your philosophy be always to contemplate death, possessing yourselves in silence and tranquillity."