Author: Marcus Aurelius
Date Read: February 2025
Rating: 5/5
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emporer and Stoic Philosopher who lived from A.D. April 26, 121 - Mar 17, 180. This book is a collection of his thoughts and experiences as a son, a father, a husband, an emperor, and above all, a human. Despite his meditations being written nearly 2000 years ago, his words, reflecting the essence of Stoicism, are relevant now more than ever.
After reading Meditations, I stumbled upon an article anecodting a story of M. A. berating a group of women for spreading spurious rumors. The article intended to juxtapose M.A.’s less than virtuous behavior with the Stoic ideals he wrote about.
Whether the event took place or not is irrelevant as the story served as a poignant reminder that Stoicism is a timeless philosophy and the Stoics themselves were not perfect. Life back then was different in many ways, but at it’s core, people still made mistakes and stuggled with many of the same things we do today. If anything, the story make the teachings even more relatable and gave me a newfound appreciation for the Stoics by tying the past to the present through our common shortcomings.
There is so much timeless wisdom in this book and will act as a guide I will continue to comeback to for the rest of my life.
And with that, I present to you some of my favorite lessons from the book.
Book 5
Just as you overhear people saying that “the doctor prescribed such-and-such for him” (like riding, or cold baths, or walking barefoot…), say this: “Nature prescribed illness for him.” Or blindness. Or the loss of a limb. Or whatever. There, “prescribed” means something like “ordered, so as to further his recovery.”
And so too here. What happens to each of us is ordered. It furthers our destiny.And when we describe things as “taking place,” we’re talking like builders, who say that blocks in a wall or a pyramid “take their place” in the structure, and fit together in a harmonious pattern.
For there is a single harmony. Just as the world forms a single body comprising all bodies, so fate forms a single purpose, comprising all purposes. Even complete illiterates acknowledge it when they say something “brought on” this or that. Brought on, yes. Or prescribed it. And in that case, let’s accept it-as we accept what the doctor prescribes. It may not always be pleasant, but we embrace it-because we want to get well. Look at the accomplishment of nature’s plans in that light-the way you look at your own health-and accept what happens (even if it seems hard to accept). Accept it because of what it leads to; the good health of the world, and the well-being and prosperity of Zeus himself, who would not have brought this on anyone unless it brought benefit to the world as a whole. No nature would do that-bring something about that wasn’t beneficial to what it governed.
So there are two reasons to embrace what happens. One is that it’s happening to you. It was prescribed for you, and it pertains to you. The thread was spun long ago, by the oldest cause of all.
The other reason is that what happens to an individual is a cause of well-being in what directs the world-of its well-being, its fulfillment, of its very existence even. Because the whole is damaged if you cut away anything-anything at all-from its continuity and its coherence. Not only its parts, but its purposes. And that’s what you’re doing when you complain: hacking and destroying.
- p.55
Book 6
Perceptions like that-latching onto things and piercing through them, so we see what they reall are. That’s what we need to do all the time-all through our lives when things lay claim to our trust-to lay them bare and see how pointless they are, to strip away the legend that encrusts them.
Pride is a master of deception: when you think you’re occupied in the weightiest business, that’s when he has you in his spell.
-p.71
Not to assume it’s impossible because you find it hard. But to recognize that if it’s humanly possible, you can do it too.
-p.73
If anyone can refute me-show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective-I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.
-p.73