The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.
Catalog
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius (/ɔːˈriːliəs/; Latin: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180 AD) was Emperor of Rome from 161 to 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169. Marcus Aurelius was the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors. He was a practitioner of Stoicism, and his untitled writing, commonly known as Meditations, is the most significant source of the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy, and although it is not as well-known as Plato's Dialogues or Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, the Meditations is nevertheless considered by many commentators one of the greatest works of philosophy. During his reign, the Roman Empire defeated a revitalized Parthian Empire in the East: Aurelius' general Avidius Cassius sacked the capital Ctesiphon in 164. In central Europe, Aurelius fought the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Sarmatians with success during the Marcomannic Wars, although the threat of the Germanic tribes began to represent a troubling reality for the Empire. A revolt in the East led by Avidius Cassius failed to gain momentum and was suppressed immediately. Aurelius' Meditations, written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered as a literary monument to a philosophy of service and duty, describing how to find and preserve equanimity, a state of psychological stability and composure, in the midst of conflict by following nature as a source of guidance and inspiration. 2Sources The major sources for the life and rule of Marcus Aurelius are patchy and frequently unreliable. The most important group of sources, the biographies contained in the Historia Augusta, claim to be written by a group of authors at the turn of the 4th century AD, but are in fact written by a single author (referred to here as "the biographer") from the later 4th century (
In the morning when thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present - I am rising to the work of a human being. Why then am I dissatisfied if I am going to do the things for which I exist and for which I was brought into the world?
What we do now echoes in eternity.
But there are insuperable obstacles. Then its not a problem. The cause of your inaction lies outside you.
The human soul dishonors itself when it does not direct its actions and impulses as much as possible, towards some goal, but instead does whatever it does, it does inconsiderately bad without reflection.
In the first place: nothing at random, and nothing that is not related to some goal. Second: do not relate your actions to anything other than a goal which may serve the human community.
Impassivity with regards to the events, brought about by the exterior cause.
You take things you don't control and define them as 'good' or 'bad.' And so of course when the 'bad' things happen, or the 'good' ones don't, you blame the gods and feel hatred for the people responsible–or those you decide to make responsible. Much of our bad behavior stems from trying to applying…
The cucumber is bitter? Then throw it out. There are branches in the path? Then go around them. That's all you need to know. Nothing more. Don't demand to know 'why something exists.'
Does what's happened keep you from acting with justice, generosity, self-control, sanity, prudence, honesty, humility, straight-fowardness, and all the other qualities that allow a person's nature to fulfill itself? So remember this principle when something threatens to cause you pain: the thing…
External things are not the problem. It's your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now. If the problem is something in your own character, who's stopping you from setting your mind straight?
Nothing but what you get from first impressions. That someone has invited you, for instance. That–but not that it's done you any harm. The fact that my son is sick–that I can see. But 'that he might die of it,' no. Stick with first impressions. Don't extrapolate. And nothing can happen to you.
It's unfortunate this happened. No. It's fortunate...and I have remained unharmed.
...greet that which does not depend on us serenely and without regrets, and use this obstacle to practice another virtue.
The wonderful thing about [nature's] workmanship is how, faced with that limitation, it takes everything within it that seems broken, old, and useless, transforms it into itself and makes new things from it. So that it doesn't need material from any outside source, or anywhere to dispose of what's…
Nature is pliable, obedient.
To have that. Not a cistern but a perpetual spring. How? By working to win your freedom. Hour by hour. Through patience, honesty, humility.
No carelessness in your actions. No confusion in your words. No impression in your thoughts. No retreating into your own soul or try to escape it. No overactivity.