“… life is warfare, and a visit in a strange land; the only lasting fame is oblivion.” – Marcus Aurelius, ‘Meditations’, Book 2
Today we share the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius (121-180). The writings of Marcus Aurelius, conventionally known as ‘Meditations’, are unique in Classical literature – the personal and philosophical diary written in Greek by an intellectual Roman emperor without any thought or intention of publication. Truthfully, ‘To Himself’ is the better title given in the manuscript used for the first printed edition in 1559, but neither the title nor the division of the thoughts of Aurelius into books and chapters have any authenticity – Marcus Aurelius wrote for himself, without title and without structure.
There is some truth to the characterization of ‘Meditations’ as a noble and sad book, but the range, diversity, and honesty of the reflections of Marcus Aurelius on life, death, eternity, doubt, despair, conviction, and exaltation have an enduring power to encourage and console, as well.
Quotes From ‘Meditations’
Quotes are excerpted from the Penguin Classics edition of ‘Meditations’ published in 2014, translated by Martin Hammond, and featuring an introduction by Diskin Clay.
Autonomy
“… don’t then let this directing mind of yours be enslaved any longer – no more jerking to the strings of selfish impulse, no more disquiet at your present or suspicion of your future fate.” – Book 2
“… all things of the mind are dreams and delusion…” – Book 2
“If you discover in human life something better than justice, truth, self-control, courage – in short, something better than the self-sufficiency of your own mind which keeps you acting in accord with true reason… then turn to it with all your heart and enjoy this prime good you have found. But if nothing is shown to be better than the very god that is seated in you, which has brought all your own impulses under its control, which scrutinizes your thoughts… which has subordinated itself to the gods and takes care of men – if you find all else by comparison with this small and paltry, then give no room to anything else.” – Book 3
“Nothing is so conducive to greatness of mind as the ability to subject each element of our experience in life to methodical and truthful examination.” – Book 3
“No retreat offers someone more quiet and relaxation than that into his own mind…” – Book 4
“… anxieties can only come from your internal judgement…” – Book 4
“Be your own master… things cannot touch the mind: they are external and inert… remove the thought ‘I am hurt’, and the hurt itself is removed.” – Book 4
“… men are at odds with their most constant companion, the Reason which governs all things…” – Book 4
“… obedience to reason is no great burden, but a source of relief.” – Book 5
“Your mind will take on the character of your most frequent thoughts: souls are dyed by thoughts.” – Book 5
“… reverence of your own mind and the value you give to it will make you acceptable to yourself.” – Book 6
“The one harvest of existence on earth is a godly habit of mind and social action.” – Book 6
“All that lies outside my own mind is nothing to it.” – Book 7
“Stop the puppet strings of impulse… Leave the wrong done by another where it started.” – Book 7
“It is shameful that the face should be so obedient, shaping and ordering its expression as the mind dictates, when the mind cannot impose its own shape and order on itself.” – Book 7
“Remember that your directing mind becomes invincible when it withdraws into its own self-sufficiency, not doing anything it does not wish to do… a mind free from passions is a fortress: people have no stronger place of retreat, and someone taking refuge here is then impregnable.” – Book 8
“The power of the mind spreads everywhere and permeates no less than the air: it is there for all who want to absorb it, just like the air for those who can draw breath.” – Book 8
“… it is only in your mind that damage or harm can be done to you – they have no other existence.” – Book 9
“That all is as thinking makes it so – and you control your thinking. So remove your judgements whenever you wish and then there is calm – as the sailor rounding the cape finds smooth water and the welcome of a waveless bay.” – Book 12
Social Capital
“We were born for cooperation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of upper and lower teeth. So to work in opposition to one another is against nature: and anger or rejection is opposition.” – Book 2
“… rational creatures are born for each other’s sake…” – Book 4
“… each creature is made in the interest of another… the good of a rational creature is community… we are born for community.” – Book 5
“The intelligence of the Whole is a social intelligence. Certainly it has made the lower for the sake of the higher, and set the higher in harmony with each other. You can see how it has subordinated some creatures, coordinated others, given each its proper place, and brought together the superior beings in unity of mind.” – Book 5
“… rational beings are here to serve each other. So the main principle in man’s constitution is the social.” – Book 7
“If you have ever seen a severed hand or foot, or a head cut off and lying some way away from the rest of the body – analogous to what someone does to himself, as far as he can, when he will not accept his lot and severs himself from society or does some unsocial act… you have made yourself the outcast from the unity of nature…” – Book 8
“So either teach or tolerate.” – Book 8
Virtues
“Every hour of the day give vigorous attention… to the performance of the task in hand with precise analysis, with unaffected dignity, with human sympathy, with dispassionate justice – and to vacating your mind from all its other thoughts.” – Book 2
”The human soul harms itself, first and foremost, when it becomes (as far as it can) a separate growth, a sort of tumour on the universe… Secondly, when it turns away from another human being, or is even carried so far in opposition as to intend him harm – such is the case in the souls of those gripped by anger. A soul harms itself, thirdly, when it gives in to pleasure or pain. Fourthly, whenever it dissimulates, doing or saying anything feigned or false. Fifthly, whenever it fails to direct any of its own actions or impulses to a goal, but acts at random, without conscious attention – whereas even the most trivial action should be undertaken in reference to the end. And the end for rational creatures is to follow the reason and the rule of that most venerable archetype of a governing state – the Universe.” – Book 2
“Your duty is to stand straight – not held straight.” – Book 3
“… tolerance is a part of justice.” – Book 4
“All things fade and quickly turn to myth; quickly too utter oblivion drowns them… But what in any case is everlasting memory? Utter emptiness. So where should a man direct his endeavor? Here only – a right mind, action for the common good, speech incapable of lies, a disposition to welcome all that happens as necessary…” – Book 4
“… justice of action is the only wisdom.” – Book 4
“So display those virtues which are wholly in your own power – integrity, dignity, hard work, self-denial, contentment, frugality, kindness, independence, simplicity, discretion, magnanimity.” – Book 5
“And what is more agreeable than wisdom itself, when you reflect on the sure and constant flow of our faculty for application and understanding?” – Book 5
“Vanity is the greatest seducer of reason…” – Book 6
“I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone: the harm is to persist in one’s own self-deception and ignorance.” – Book 6
“In this world there is only one thing of value, to live out your life in truth and justice, tolerant of those who are neither true nor just.” – Book 6
“There is nothing so cheering as the stamp of virtues manifest in the character of colleagues – and the greater the collective incidence, the better.” – Book 6
“But bear in mind that a person’s worth is measured by the worth of what he values.” – Book 7
“Take your joy in simplicity, in integrity, in indifference to all that lies between virtue and vice.” – Book 7
“Dig inside yourself. Inside there is a spring of goodness ready to gush at any moment, if you keep digging.” – Book 7
“‘No soul’, says Plato, ‘likes to be robbed of truth’ – and the same holds of justice, moderation, kindness, and all such virtues.” – Book 7
“Man’s joy is to do man’s proper work. And work proper to man is benevolence to his own kind, disdain for the stirrings of the senses, diagnosis of the impressions he can trust, contemplation of universal nature and all things thereby entailed.” – Book 8
“Accept humbly, let go easily.” – Book 8
“In the constitution of the rational being I can see no virtue that counters justice: but I do see the counter to pleasure – self-control.” – Book 8
“Injustice is sin… Lying, too, is a sin… the pursuit of pleasure as a good and the avoidance of pain as an evil constitutes sin… The sinner sins against himself…” – Book 9
“… all arts create the lower in the interests of the higher: so this is the way of universal nature too. And indeed here is the origin of justice, from which all other virtues take their being…” – Book 11
“It is the gentle who have strength, sinew, and courage – not the indignant and complaining. The closer to control of emotion, the closer to power.” – Book 11
“The pride that prides itself on freedom from pride is the hardest of all to bear.” – Book 12
Final Thoughts
Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations stands as a testament to the enduring power of philosophical reflection in navigating life’s complexities. Written nearly two millennia ago by a man burdened with the weight of empire, these private thoughts reveal universal truths about the human condition that resonate just as strongly today. The emperor’s emphasis on autonomy of mind, social duty, and virtue offers not abstract ideals but practical wisdom for daily living. His recognition that “all is as thinking makes it so” anticipates modern cognitive approaches to well-being, while his insistence on community and cooperation speaks to our interconnected world with remarkable prescience.
What makes Aurelius’s philosophy particularly compelling is its hard-won authenticity. These were not polished treatises meant to impress scholars, but raw reflections of a leader grappling with power, mortality, and meaning. His acknowledgment of life as “warfare, and a visit in a strange land” doesn’t lead to despair but to a fierce commitment to virtue and social action. The Stoic emperor understood that while we cannot control external events, we possess complete sovereignty over our responses—a fortress of the mind that remains “impregnable” to life’s vicissitudes. This balance between accepting what we cannot change and taking responsibility for what we can continues to offer profound guidance.
In our age of constant distraction and external validation, Marcus Aurelius’s call to “dig inside yourself” feels both ancient and urgently contemporary. His philosophy reminds us that true contentment comes not from controlling outcomes but from aligning our actions with virtue, treating others with justice and tolerance, and maintaining what he calls “a godly habit of mind.” The emperor who wrote these lines faced plagues, wars, and betrayals, yet found solace in reason and duty. Perhaps this is his greatest gift to us: the demonstration that philosophy is not an academic exercise but a lived practice, one that can transform suffering into wisdom and isolation into connection with the whole of humanity.
Thanks for reading!