"If anyone can prove and show to me that I think and act in error, I will gladly change it"

 

   "If anyone can prove and show to me that I think and act in error, I will gladly change it – for I seek the truth, by which no one has ever been harmed. The one who is harmed is the one who abides in deceit and ignorance." -Marcus Aurelius – Meditations

    I vibe deeply with this quote, and I seek friends and social acquaintances who do as well.  If there were one place in my heart where a burgeoning sense of intolerance arises, it is evoked when I feel I'm dealing with someone who is more intent on proving me wrong-- pwning me in some sort of idealogical joust-- rather than constructively moving towards a more clear-eyed view of the world, of themselves and of their perspectives through their interaction with me.

    In this quote, the 1st sentence is pretty obvious and explanatory, but the 2nd sentence is key:

• Abide
• Definition 1:  to remain; continue; stay.
• Definition 3:  to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, etc.; last.
• Deceit
• Definition 1: the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating.
• Deceive: to mislead by a false appearance or statement
• Ignorance
• Definition 1: the state or fact of being ignorant; lack of knowledge, learning, information, etc.

    I am wondering whether this quote is calling out bad actors, or just good faith thinkers that have been deceived?  For instance, is Marcus Aurelius saying...

•     ...people are harmed when they continue in the particular condition of trying to deceive. [?]
• Is he saying that liars, cheats and frauds who are trying to convince others of bullshit are harmed?  
• I would posit that he says no, but that liars, frauds and cheats are harmful to others.  Since they know the truth-- and knowingly subvert it-- then they are just awful people who deserve societal repercussions.
• Or is he saying that victims who believe in the lies and deceptions they've been exposed to are harmed?
• Here I would posit that he is saying yes, victims of deceit are harmed.

    In essence, I think Marcus Aurelius groups together people who don't know better (ignorant folk) and people who have been deceived.  He points out that these people's insistence to abide (to continue in the particular condition of ignorance or deceit) is harmful to themselves.  

    

    Might I be thinking about this in error?  If so, prove and show me how to change.