Meditations

by Marcus Aurelius

he was able both to abstain from, and to enjoy, those things which many are too weak to abstain from, and cannot enjoy without excess.

it is possible for a man to live in a palace without wanting either guards or embroidered dresses,

But death certainly, and life, honor and dishonor, pain and pleasure,—all these things equally happen to good men and bad, being things which make us neither better nor worse. Therefore they are neither good nor evil.

For a man cannot lose either the past or the future: for what a man has not, how can any one take this from him?

Remember that all is opinion.

We must make haste, then, not only because we are daily nearer to death, but also because the conception of things and the understanding of them cease first.

many such things will present themselves, not pleasing to every man, but to him only who has become truly familiar with Nature and her works.

Do not waste the remainder of thy life in thoughts about others, when thou dost not refer

thy thoughts to some object of common

Accordingly, he does not value at all the praise which comes from such men, since they are not even satisfied with themselves.

Be cheerful also, and seek not external help nor the tranquillity which others give. A man then must stand erect, not be kept erect by others.

For nothing is so productive of elevation of mind as to be able to examine methodically and truly every object which is presented to thee in life,

if thou holdest to this, expecting nothing, fearing nothing, but satisfied with thy present activity according to nature, and with heroic truth in every word and sound which thou utterest, thou wilt live happy.

For nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul,

tranquillity is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind.

See how soon everything is forgotten, and look at the chaos of infinite time on each side of [the present], and the emptiness of applause, and the changeableness and want of judgment in those who pretend to give praise,

One is that things do not touch the soul, for they are external and remain immovable;

our perturbations come only from the opinion which is within.

The universe is transformation: life is opinion.

nothing comes out of that which is nothing, as nothing also returns to non-existence),

That which does not make a man worse than he was, also does not make his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or from within.

change thy opinion, if there is any one at hand who sets thee right and moves thee from any opinion. But this change of opinion must proceed only from a certain persuasion, as of what is just or of common advantage,

Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.

How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it may be just and pure;

He who has a vehement desire for posthumous fame does not consider that every one of those who remember him will himself also die very soon;

Everything which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself.

on the occasion of every impression maintain the faculty of comprehension [or understanding].

Occupy thyself with few things,

Do what is necessary, and whatever the reason of the animal which is naturally social requires, and as it requires.

the greatest part of what we say and do being unnecessary,

on every occasion a man should ask himself, Is this one of the unnecessary things?

Do not disturb thyself. Make thyself all simplicity. Does any one do wrong? It is to himself that he does the wrong. Has anything happened to thee? Well; out of the universe from the beginning everything which happens has been apportioned and spun out to thee.

the attention given to everything has its proper value and proportion. For thus thou wilt not be dissatisfied, if thou appliest thyself to smaller matters no further than is fit.

This one thing, thoughts just, and acts social, and words which never lie, and a disposition which gladly accepts all that happens, as necessary, as usual, as flowing from a principle and source of the same kind.

For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.

Examine men’s ruling principles, even those of the wise, what kind of things they avoid, and what kind they pursue.

For that which happens equally to him who lives contrary to nature and to him who lives according to nature, is neither according to nature nor contrary to nature.

That’s because nothing that can happen to both good and bad people is truly good or bad. If the same things happen to both the just and the unjust, then those things aren’t part of what makes a life good or bad.

Always see the universe as one living being — a single whole with one body and one soul. Notice how everything in existence is connected to this greater awareness — how everything contributes to a single, unified movement. Understand that everything that happens is part of a larger plan where each thing plays a role in supporting everything else. Watch how the universe weaves all events and beings together like a thread spinning into a vast, intricate web.

You are a small soul — your true self — carrying around a lifeless body

Change itself is not bad. And just because something lasts longer due to change, that doesn’t make it good either.

Everything that happens — even illness, death, slander, and betrayal — is just as natural and expected as roses blooming in spring or fruit ripening in summer. These events are neither surprising nor new; only the foolish are shocked or overly pleased by them.

In the chain of events, everything that comes next is always naturally connected to what came before. It’s not just a list of unrelated happenings — it’s a meaningful sequence. Just as all things in existence fit together in harmony, so too do the events of the world form a kind of miraculous, intelligent pattern — not just a series, but a deep relationship.

Remember what Heraclitus said: earth dies into water, water into air, air into fire — and the cycle reverses. Everything changes — transformation is the nature of things. Also reflect on how easily people forget where life is going, and how they argue with the very force that shapes their lives: universal reason, the logos. They are constantly surrounded by nature and reason, but still find it all strange, as if they’ve never seen it before. So don’t live like someone asleep — acting and speaking automatically, unconsciously — because even in dreams we think we are awake. And don’t just imitate what you’ve been told, like children copying their parents. Think for yourself. Be conscious. Be truly alive.

If a god told you that you were going to die tomorrow or the day after, you probably wouldn’t be too worried about the difference — unless you were extremely petty. The difference between dying tomorrow and dying a little later is so small it barely matters. So why should it seem like a big deal to die in a few decades rather than tomorrow? In the end, it’s all the same.

always observe how ephemeral and worthless human things are, and what was yesterday a little mucus, to-morrow will be a mummy or ashes. Pass then through this little space of time conformably to nature, and end thy journey in content, as an olive falls off when it is ripe, blessing nature who produced it, and thanking the tree on which it grew.

Be like the promontory that the waves crash against but never move. The waves keep coming, but the promontory remains firm, taming the fury of the water. When something difficult happens to you, don’t think, “How unlucky am I?” Instead, think, “How fortunate I am, because I remain free from distress — I’m not overwhelmed by the present or fearful of the future.” Such things can happen to anyone, but not everyone would remain unshaken. Why should this be seen as misfortune when it can be an opportunity to show virtue and resilience? Does something become a misfortune just because it’s unpleasant or difficult? Not necessarily. As long as it doesn’t violate our nature, we can still act with wisdom, justice, temperance, and courage. Remember, whenever you feel upset, remind yourself: it’s not the event that’s the misfortune, but how you bear it that defines whether it’s a good or bad fortune.

A simple, but helpful way to stop fearing death is to think of all those who clung tightly to life. What did they gain by living longer than others? In the end, they all ended up in the grave — like Cadicianus, Fabius, Julianus, Lepidus — people who buried others only to be buried themselves. The gap between birth and death is short, no matter how long it seems. And look at how exhausting it is — full of effort, surrounded by difficult people, lived in a fragile body. So don’t overvalue life. Think of the infinite stretch of time before you were born, and the infinite time after you’re gone. In the face of eternity, what’s really the difference between living three days or three generations?

Always take the shortest path — and the shortest path is the natural one. So speak and act in line with clear reason and nature. Living this way frees you from confusion, conflict, manipulation, and the need to impress others.

When you wake up and don’t want to get out of bed, remind yourself: “I’m rising to do the work of a human being.” So why am I reluctant? Was I made to stay warm under the covers? — “But it’s comfortable!” — Were you born just for pleasure, or for action? Look at the little birds, ants, bees — they all do their part for the world. So why are you unwilling to do your part? To fulfill your human nature? — “But I need rest!” — Yes, rest is necessary, but nature sets limits. You eat and drink past what is needed, yet you underperform in action. If you truly loved yourself, you would love your nature, and its purpose — which is to live with reason, virtue, and service. Look at how artists, dancers, or greedy men will give up food and sleep for their passion. Do you value your own nature less than they value theirs? Is serving humanity less worthy than spinning pots, dancing, or chasing wealth?

It’s easy to push away and erase any troubling or unworthy thought — and to return at once to calm.