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Meditations
Marcus Aurelius · c. 175
philosophy
You do not control what happens, only how you meet it. That is the whole practice.
About the book
A series of notes the emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote to himself, never intended for anyone else to read. They return again and again to duty, mortality, self-discipline, and the Stoic practice of accepting what lies outside your control. This is Gregory Hays's widely recommended modern translation.
About the author
Marcus Aurelius was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD, the last of the rulers later remembered as the Five Good Emperors. He practiced Stoic philosophy, and these notes are its most personal record.
Key ideas
- Separate what you control, your own judgments and actions, from what you do not. Peace comes from telling them apart.
- You cannot choose events, only your response to them.
- Keeping death in view is a tool. It clarifies what actually matters today.
- We are made for each other, and duty to other people is not optional.