The Meditations (Stoic Philosophy #2)

by Marcus Aurelius

Stoicism doesn’t mean repressing emotion and shunning pleasure, I learned, but—in essence—focusing on what is in our power and letting go of everything we can’t control.

Begin each morning by saying to yourself: Today I will meet people who are nosy, ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, and unsocial. They can’t help it—they are ignorant of the difference between good and bad. But I, who know the difference, also know that I share the same human nature with them. I can’t be angry with my fellow humans. We were made to work together, like pairs of hands, feet, eyelids, or rows of teeth. To hate each other is against the laws of nature. No one can hurt me but myself, for no one else can make me forsake the good and embrace the bad.

Every moment, focus your attention and perform the task at hand with simplicity, efficiency, and dignity. Fill your mind with thoughts of love, freedom, and justice, leaving no room for negative and destructive thoughts. If you live every moment as if it were your last—putting aside all carelessness, fear, anger, unreason, hypocrisy, selfishness, and dissatisfaction—you will find salvation. You need only hold onto these few principles and you can live in peace and contentment, watching things come and go in the stream of life. This is how the gods live.

Don’t worry about what others think. Mind what you think. Watch the movements of your mind, and focus your thoughts on something worthy. Ask yourself the important questions: What is the nature of the cosmos? What is my nature? How is this related to that? What part do I play in the whole?

Your life may end at any time, so think and act accordingly. Death itself is nothing to fear. If there are gods, they will take care of you. If there are no gods, or if they have nothing to do with human affairs, what difference does it make? Live as best you can, regardless.

Death, life, pleasure, pain—these are universals. Life and pleasure come to bad people as well as good; pain and death come to the good as well as the bad. Therefore, none these things can be good or bad in itself.

Life is a voyage. You embark; you sail; and, when you reach the far shore, you get out of the boat. What is your destination? If the gods exist, you step into their divine realm. If there are no gods, you enter a state without thought or feeling, freed from the bonds of pain and pleasure that held you on the ship.

Don’t waste the rest of your life worrying about what others think and do. Direct your thoughts to a useful end. When you dissipate your mental energy on things you can’t control, you lose the opportunity to accomplish something yourself.

Put your whole heart and mind into your work, laboring not just for yourself but for the common good. Be a person of few words and a few projects, not busy and scattered.

Cast aside all that is extraneous and superfluous, and cling to the few things that really matter. Remember that you live only in the present moment—a single, indivisible point in time. The past is gone and the future is unknowable. Brief is the moment in which you live; small is the plot of earth beneath your feet. Do you seek fame, so that you will live on in people’s memories after you’re dead? Remember that their days are short, too—they barely have time to know themselves, much less learn about those who died long ago. And even if they were to live ten thousand years and keep your memory—what good is that to you? Life is for the living.

Do you burn with the desire for fame? Remember how soon everything is forgotten. Consider the eons of time on either side of the present moment, the emptiness of applause, and the fickleness of fashion.

To change your experience, change your opinion. Stop telling yourself that you’re a victim and the pain goes away.

Picture the universe as one great, living being, with one substance and one soul. Seen from this perspective, all its parts are moving together as one, evolving together, co-creating what comes next. Reason does not separate us from the universe. Our ability to sense, perceive, and understand is itself a power of the universe. You are a part of the universe, perceiving itself.

When it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning, remind yourself: I am rising to resume my life’s work. How can I be unhappy when I have another opportunity to do what I was born to do? But it’s so comfortable here. Were you born for this—lying in bed under a warm blanket? Life is meant for action and exertion. Consider the ants, bees, and birds, working to bring order to their corners of the universe. Are you unwilling to do the work of a human being? But I worked yesterday; today I need to rest. Rest is for recharging, not for indulgence. Take only what is sufficient for your health and vitality. Too much rest—like too much food or drink—defeats its purpose, weakening the body and dulling the spirit. But I should love and care for myself. If you truly love yourself, love your nature and your vocation. Those who love their work become so absorbed in it, they don’t even think of stopping. Do you love your work the way a dancer loves dancing and a painter loves painting? If not, why is your work less important to you than theirs is to them?

“People don’t find me a witty conversationalist,” you mope. So what? Focus on improving your character, not worrying how others perceive you. It’s completely in your power to develop greater sincerity, generosity, persistence, strength, and contentment in all circumstances. If your speaking skills need work, by all means work on them. But it’s better to be honest and straightforward than mere witty and clever.

Fate can’t give you a challenge that nature has not equipped you to bear. No matter what comes your way, you can find an example of someone who has gone through the same experience and stood strong, emerging with their spirit unharmed. For events and circumstances don’t touch the soul—not in the least. Only the soul shapes the soul, as it responds to the things it encounters.

How foolish it is, then, to puff yourself up with pride or berate yourself with worry. Think of the boundless abyss of the past behind you and the infinite future stretching out ahead. From this perspective, how small are your achievements—and how petty your troubles. Instead of boasting or moaning, rest content knowing that you are a small part of the universe, and treasure the moment of eternity that you have been given.

What is the best way to avenge a wrong? If you retaliate in kind, returning evil for evil, your attacker succeeds in dragging you down to their level. Instead, take the insult or injury and transform it into a means of becoming a better person. This is the only true vengeance.

In breathing, we draw in air for a while, then give it back to the atmosphere. So with living—we draw in life for a while, then give it back to the universe.

What is worth valuing in life? To be greeted with applause and cheers? This is nothing more than the slapping of hands and flapping of tongues. When you give up the desire for fame, what remains? To live according to your nature. This is the worthy aim of all occupations, arts, and activities.

Desiring to be remembered and praised by generations after your death—how silly! Why wish for words you’ll never hear from people you’ll never see?

When a nightmare disturbs your sleep, it takes a few moments to return to your senses and realize it was only a dream. The same thing can happen during the day. When something scares you, it is really your beliefs about the thing that are scaring you. Release your beliefs, and the fear dissolves. Worries and troubles are nightmares that we entertain while awake.

Listen carefully when others speak. As much as possible, imagine yourself in their shoes and see things from their perspective.

If you trip and fall, your hands and knees will feel pain. Let them complain if they wish. But you are not injured unless you choose to view your fall as a terrible, unfair, unfortunate event inflicted upon you. Your opinions and interpretations are up to you.

Does change make you anxious? Tell me, what would ever happen without change? How does nature work, except by changing things? Can you digest food without changing it? Can you build a boat without changing a tree? Can anything useful be done without change? It’s the nature of the universe—all things must change, including you. Embrace it.

Love all people, including those who do wrong. They may be acting unintentionally, out of ignorance. Even if they are acting intentionally, they can’t harm you—that is, they can’t make you a worse person than before. Only you can harm yourself, by fanning the flames of hatred and resentment. When someone wrongs you, identify the mistaken ideas that motivated their behavior. Then, instead of being angry, you’ll pity them.

Don’t long for things you don’t have; instead, be grateful for the things you do have. Imagine how desirable they would seem if you didn’t already have them. At the same time, don’t become so attached to your possessions that you would be upset if they were damaged or lost.

All that you’ve done before, or failed to do, is of no account. The past is dead and gone. Why carry yesterday’s regrets on your back? Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Live now according your principles.

When you’re in pain, remember this—bodily pain can’t harm your ruling reason. Most pains are local and limited. Let the injured body part voice its displeasure, but don’t let it dominate your thoughts and become the center of your attention. When imagination is added to pain, it seems infinite and everlasting.

Live each day as if it were your last. Fill it with activities that are in line with your principles—be neither lazy, nor hurried, nor hypocritical.

We need to repent not just for the bad things we do, but for the good things we don’t do—such as helping a person in need when we have the opportunity. But we never need to repent for failing to indulge in pleasure. This is because pleasure is not a good in itself, but a side effect of things that may be good or bad. When faced with choice between following reason or pursuing a questionable pleasure, remember this: If you follow reason, you’ll never regret it in the morning.

You have three relationships: First, to your own body; second, to the divine Source of all life and existence; third, to your fellow human beings. And so you have three responsibilities: First, to use your reason to master your body and make right judgments; second, to gratefully accept all that happens in the universe; third, to treat all people with justice and generosity.

Whether you are addressing the Senate or a servant in your own home, use the same manner of speaking. Be simple, direct, humble, and honest.

If you’re upset by something outside you, it’s not the thing itself that upsets you, but your opinion of it. And it’s in your power to wipe away that opinion immediately. If your own thoughts are causing you pain, who’s keeping you from changing them? Or, do you feel ashamed because you aren’t doing what you know you ought to be doing? Then do it. Is there an obstacle blocking your way? Make it part of your plan and turn it to your advantage. But what if it kills you? Then you’ll leave this world contentedly, as someone who pursued a worthy goal to the end—not as a coward who gave up and stopped trying.

See things as they are, and don’t let your imagination blow them out of proportion. Suppose you hear that someone has spoken poorly of you. Are you hurt by this? It’s only a report about some words. Don’t let your imagination concoct a drama based upon it. Suppose your child is sick. Do you fall into despair? Limit your thoughts to the illness and how to treat it—don’t let your imagination add anything more.

Others may insult you, injure you—even kill you and cut you to pieces—yet they are powerless to harm your character. Nothing can defile your mind or force you to be unjust, outside of your own will. A person can stand by a mountain stream and insult it all day long—the stream remains pure. Even if they throw dirt into it, the dirt is quickly dispersed and carried away. Let your soul be like that stream—flowing freely, simplly, and contentedly.

You breathe in harmony with the air around you, taking it in and exhaling it out. In a similar way, you can think in harmony with the universal reason surrounding you. There’s an intelligence pervading all things, and you can draw it into your mind if you desire.

You have suffered infinite troubles and tragedies in your own imagination. Enough of worrying!

It’s in your power to act now—so get moving. Don’t wait for the perfect time, the ideal environment, or a crowd of onlookers to cheer you. Put your best effort into the task at hand, no matter how small. Work simply, humbly, consistently. Success builds upon success.

Every day, unexpected events, interpersonal conflicts, and bone-tiredness conspire to pull you away from your principles. But every time you respond by drawing on reason, its flame grows stronger within you.

Stop wasting energy in fear and procrastination. Your job is to see what needs to be done and then do it. If you see the way forward, proceed without looking back. If you are unsure which way to go, stop and find a trustworthy guide. If something blocks your way, make that obstacle a stepping stone on your journey. If you fail or die, it will be in pursuit of a worthy goal—there’s no shame in that.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re on a mountaintop, at the seaside, or in the middle of a city—your interior landscape remains the same. Wherever you go, there you are—the same person, with the same patterns of thought. As you improve your mind and disposition, your surroundings become more interesting, beautiful, and inspiring—no matter where you are.

A man deposits some fluid in a womb, and nothing more; then hidden forces go to work within the woman, forming a child. A human being, sprung from such a substance! The child suckles milk and eats her first foods—again, hidden forces go to work, transforming food and drink into bone and brains, strength and intelligence, movement and life. Astounding! Notice how even great things have small beginnings, and how unseen, imperceptible forces are the most powerful of all.

Whenever you are offended by another person’s words or deeds, look inside and see whether you have the same fault. You may be disgusted by gluttony, greed, or pride in another, while these same vices are hiding in your own heart. Focus on improving yourself—others are outside of your control, after all—and you’ll be more sympathetic and tolerant of your fellow humans.

Ponder the leaves—brought forth in spring, fallen and scattered in fall, replaced by new ones next season. Hold everything lightly. Don’t cling to some things and run from others as if they—or you—were everlasting.

No matter how good a life you lead, you won’t please everyone. Someone will be glad to see you go. Even when Socrates died, there were those who thought, “Phew—now I can breathe freely. Maybe he didn’t criticize me directly, but I always felt small and stupid in his presence.” So give up this futile pursuit of being liked by everyone. Simply live according to your principles. Then, when the time comes, you’ll be ready to depart this world in contentment and peace.

You can’t set down rules for others until you have first followed them yourself.

I often wonder how it is that most people value their own lives above others, yet value other’s opinions of them over their own self-opinions.

Even if you despair of ever mastering a skill, keep practicing. Your left hand is clumsy at most things because you always favor the right. Yet look at how well your left hand controls the horse’s bridle—that’s because it’s the one task at which you’ve given it practice.

Remember that everything is opinion, and your opinion is in your power. When you wipe away a bothersome opinion, you’re like a sailor who rounds a rocky promontory and passes from turbulent seas into a peaceful bay.