The Essential Marcus Aurelius (Tarcher Cornerstone Editions)

by Marcus Aurelius

Do not hold the same views as the person who does you harm, or even wishes to harm you. Rather, see these judgments for what they truly are.

What good is that to you? I shouldn’t even have to mention that all this is worth nothing to a dead man. But what good is it even to the living, except in some inconsequential way? For you forsake the opportunity afforded by your natural human gifts, in order to grasp onto the future gossip of others.

So pass this brief amount of time in accordance with Nature and dissolve graciously, just as a ripe olive falls to the ground praising both the earth which gave it life and the tree which nourished it.

And still you do not wish to do the work of a human being? Why are you not hurrying to do what is in accordance with your nature? “But one must also rest.” I agree, but Nature has set limits to this, too, just as she has set limits to eating and drinking, and in these you go well beyond the limits. In your actions, however, you stay well within the limits of what you are capable of. You do not love yourself, or else you surely would love your nature and what it intends for you.

Judge every single word or deed that is in accordance with Nature as worthy of you, and do not trouble yourself if reproach or gossip should follow; but rather, if something noble is to be done or said, do not judge yourself unworthy of doing or saying it. For others have their own ruling part and follow their own particular inclinations, to which you should not direct your gaze but continue on your straight path, following both your own personal nature and the Universal Nature, for the paths of both of these are actually one.

Do not give up or be disgusted and impatient with yourself if you do not act from right principles in every situation; but, having been driven off course, return again and rejoice if most of your actions are worthy of a human being, and love that to which you are returning. Do not come back to philosophy as a child returns to a harsh schoolmaster but rather as sore-eyed people turn to sponges and egg whites, as one sick man turns to plaster, and another to healing ointments. For to obey the order of the universe is no heroic deed or struggle. But in so doing you will find tranquility.

Nothing happens to anyone which that person is unable by nature to endure. The same thing that happens to you can happen to another, and they are steadfast and remain unharmed either because they are ignorant that anything has happened or because they are showing off their so-called greatness of mind. Strange indeed that ignorance and showing off can be stronger than wisdom!

“Live with the gods,” as the saying goes; but what does this mean? He dwells with the gods who constantly shows them a soul that is satisfied with its portion, and which does what its divine spirit wills, that spirit which Zeus gave as a portion of himself to each person, to be their guardian and guide. For this is the Intelligence and Reason of each person.

“There was a time, long past, when fate was kind to me.”14 But the truly fortunate person has created his own good fortune through good habits of the soul, good intentions, and good actions.

The noblest way of taking revenge on others is by refusing to become like them.

Either everything is a confused gathering and scattering of atoms, or else it is all a great unity and design. If the former, why am I so eager to go on living in such a swirling chaos? Why should I care about anything but how I will finally “return to the soil”?15 and why am I disturbed? For whatever I do, this scattering will come upon me as well. But if it is the other alternative, then I am reverent, I am calm; I place my trust in that which governs all things.

Whenever you are forced by circumstances to be disturbed in some way, quickly return to yourself, and do not lose your footing any longer than is absolutely necessary; for you will have more control over your internal harmony by continually returning to it.

To absorb air as plants do should not be valued much, nor the act of respiration, which we share with cattle and wild animals, nor the act of being affected by impressions, nor to be manipulated by our impulses like a marionette, nor to live in herds, nor to consume nutriment, for this last one is no better than to value the expelling of that nutriment.

If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one ever was truly harmed. Harmed is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance.

The person who truly sees the present has already seen everything—all that has come from eternity and all that will happen in the infinite future—for all things are of one ancestry and likeness.

Every tool, instrument, or vessel is good if it performs well that function for which it was made; and yet, in such cases, the maker is external to it. But for those creatures who are made by Nature, the power that made them is within and remains there. Because of this, you must honor that power all the more and understand that if you conduct yourself and live your life in accordance with Nature’s will, then everything will be in accordance with your Intelligence.

The person who loves reputation supposes that his own good depends on the activities of others; the lover of pleasure finds his own good in being affected by his emotions. But the person who has Intelligence understands the good to be in his own actions.

Turn your attention within, for the fountain of all that is good lies within, and it is always ready to pour forth, if you continually delve in.

See that you never feel toward the inhumane what they feel toward humankind.

A man’s joy is in doing that which is specifically human. And what is specifically human is a benevolent disposition toward his own kind, seeing beyond the movements of the senses, rightly discerning the persuasive pictures offered by the imagination, and contemplating the nature of the Whole and its works.

It is necessary to construct one’s life one action at a time and be content if each of these actions accomplishes its own task as far as possible. There is not a single person who can hinder you so as to prevent this. “But something external will stand in my way.” There is no such thing when it comes to acting justly, with self-restraint and understanding. “But perhaps some other activity will be hindered.” Nevertheless, by gracefully accepting the obstacle and by thoughtfully turning toward that which has been given to you, immediately another action will take its place, one which fully corresponds to the synthesis that we are speaking of.

Receive without conceit; release without a struggle.

Humans have come into being for the sake of each other; so teach them or learn to bear them.

Do not see death as a hindrance, but accept it, since even death is something that Nature wishes. For just like youth, old age, growth, maturity, the growing of teeth, beard, and gray hair, conception, pregnancy and birth, and all the other activities of Nature which the seasons of life bring—so too is dissolution a natural process. It therefore corresponds to what we are as beings possessed of Reason not to be rash, violent, or arrogant toward death but to await it as one of Nature’s processes. And just as you await the time when the child comes forth from your wife’s womb, in the same way you should welcome the hour when your soul emerges from its shell.

Watch carefully and you will see: for sooner would you see earthly things defying gravity than human beings completely severed from each other.

Today I escaped all difficulty; or rather, I have cast out all difficulty, for difficulty is not external, but rooted in my judgments.

It is also useful immediately to consider this: what power has Nature given us for dealing with such people? For She has given us kindness as an antidote for the arrogant, and other faculties for dealing with other difficulties. In a word, it is in your power to teach whoever has lost his way, and everyone who is in error is so in relation to his true goal and has gone astray from that goal. And how has this harmed you? For you will discover that not one of those who have made you angry has done anything which makes your mind worse, and it is there, in your understanding, that all evil and harm have their dwelling.

What is evil or even strange about an ignorant person doing ignorant things? Rather, see to it that you aren’t to blame for not anticipating that this person would be in error; remember that you possess the resources of Reason, which will allow you to see that this person will most likely be mistaken, and yet you have forgotten, and so you are amazed when he does so.

For what more do you want, dear man, once you have done something good? Do you want some additional compensation? Does the eye demand wages for seeing or the feet for walking? Just as these were made for something and, in accomplishing their task, gain what is truly theirs, so too is man naturally a doer of good actions, and when he has done such an action, he has accomplished what he was made for and receives what is truly his.

Let them see, let men come to know a true man, one who lives according to Nature. If they cannot bear him, let them kill him, for this would be better for him than to live as they live.

Stop philosophizing about what a good man is and be one.

A short life is common to all, yet you avoid and pursue things as though you will live forever. In a little while you, too, will close your eyes, and soon after that another will mourn the person who carried your coffin.

A tree branch that is cut off from its nearest neighboring branch cannot help but be cut off from the entire tree. In the same way, one man when severed from another man is cut off from the whole community. But whereas the branch is severed by someone or something else, man severs himself from his neighbor by hating him and turning away from him, not realizing that he simultaneously separates himself from the whole of society.

Those who try to hinder you as you move forward according to right reason do not have the power to turn you away from sound actions. Neither should you allow them to drive away the benevolent disposition that you have toward them. So guard yourself equally in these two circumstances: not only firmness in your judgments and actions but also gentleness with those who try to hinder or annoy you in some other way. For to be angry with them is weakness, just as much as it is weakness to abandon your practices or to yield because of fear. For both are deserters of their post: the trembling coward, as well as he who is alienated from a natural kinsman and friend.

The good and straightforward person should resemble one who stinks of goat, in the sense that whoever comes close will immediately sense him, whether they want to or not. But a contrived simplicity is like a dagger. Nothing is more shameful than the wolf’s friendship; avoid this most of all.

Apollo: that it is insanity to expect that bad people not do bad things, for this is to aim at what is impossible. Also, that by allowing such people to act in that way toward others, while demanding that they not wrong you, you are being unjust and tyrannical.

I have often been amazed at how every person loves himself more than he loves others yet places less value on his own judgment of himself than on the judgments of others concerning him. If a god or some wise teacher were to stand next to him and order him not to think or conceive of anything without at the same time speaking it for all to hear, he would not be able to endure it even for a single day. This shows us that what others think of us counts more for us than our own estimation of ourselves.

In the application of principles, you must be like the boxer, not the gladiator, for the latter must put down and take up his weapon, while the boxer has his hand with him always and need only make a fist.