Commentary on Meditations: B1.6

6. From Diognetus: to avoid empty enthusiasms; to disbelieve all that is talked by miracle-mongers and quacks about incantations, exorcism of demons, and the like; not to hold quail-fights or be excited by such sports; to tolerate plain speaking; to have an affinity for philosophy, and to attend the lectures first of Baccheius, then of Tandasis and Marcianus; to write essays from a young age; to love the camp-bed, the hide blanket, and all else involved in the Greek training.

When he writes of the idea of empty enthusiasm, I take this to mean "all talk, no walk.” If you are genuinely going to do something, then do it.  Do not talk about it.  Don't talk of being enthusiastic about something. Rather, you should simply demonstrate it! (see this tweet)

A healthy amount of skepticism is needed in everyone’s life. There are many who want to convince you of their power. They will try to convince you of "miracles" and "exorcisms" and "incantations."  Don’t be hasty in falling for all that you see with your eyes. Our perception and insight are not as great as you think. And there are plenty of con artists who want to gain your trust, so you loosen your wallet or even worse, your rationality.

When he talks of quail-fights, I suppose this could be similar to cockfighting.  This is all wasted time and money.  It does nothing to improve the person.  As for entertainment value, it's all sugar and no nutrition.

Some people will say that plain speaking is no virtue. Indeed, there are always different ways to speak tactfully, but you can still tolerate plain speaking. In modern times, I supposed this means to let people speak bluntly or even un-politically correctly.  Of course, we should speak with respect and intelligence, but we should also allow others to speak plainly.

Next, Marcus considers philosophy and essays. Philosophy is none other than finding a good way to live this life; and I can think of no better philosophy than what the stoics endorse.  Reading and writing about philosophy helps us to think about what it all means and how to live it. Reading and writing also reinforce what we’ve learned.

Lastly, he learns from Diognetus to love the camp-bed and Greek training. What this means to us, today, is to learn to be uncomfortable.  We should learn to tolerate camping, hot and cold weather, sleeping on the ground, and anything that helps us become more resilient.