Marcus Aurelius Quotes

It's silly to try to escape other people's faults. They are inescapable. Just try to escape your own.

Everything is in a state of metamorphosis. Thou thyself art in everlasting change and in corruption to correspond; so is the whole universe.

τί λοιπὸν ἢ ἀπολαύειν τοῦ ζῆν συνάπτοντα ἄλλο ἐπ ἄλλῳ ἀγαθόν, ὥστε μηδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον διάστημα ἀπολείπειν;

[Before making a decision] The first thing to do – don't get worked up. For everything happens according to the nature of all things, and in a short time you'll be nobody and nowhere even as the great emperors Hadrian and Augustus are now. The next thing to do – consider carefully the task at hand for what it is, while remembering that your purpose is to be a good human being. Get straight to doing what nature requires of you, and speak as you see most just and fitting – with kindness, modesty, and sincerity.

Acquire the contemplative way of seeing how all things change into one another, and constantly attend to it, and exercise thyself about this part [of philosophy]. For nothing is so much adapted to produce magnanimity. ...But as to what any man shall say or think about him, or do against him, he never even thinks of it, being himself contented with these two things: with acting justly in what he now does, and being satisfied with what is now assigned to him; and he lays aside all distracting and busy pursuits, and desires nothing else than to accomplish the straight course through the law, and by accomplishing the straight course to follow God.

Do not think that what is hard for you to master is humanly impossible; and if it is humanly possible, consider it to be within your reach.

Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.

While you live—while you can—be a good man.

Thou sufferest justly: for thou choosest rather to become good to-morrow than to be good to-day.

Reverence the gods, and help men. Short is life.

Let it not be in any man's power to say truly of thee that thou art not simple or that thou art not good; but let him be a liar whoever shall think anything of this kind about thee; and this is altogether in thy power.

The only thing that isn’t worthless: to live this life out truthfully and rightly. And be patient with those who don’t.

To live each day as though one's last, never flustered, never apathetic, never attitudinizing – here is perfection of character.

No carelessness in your actions. No confusion in your words. No imprecision in your thoughts. (Hays translation)

I'm constantly amazed by how easily we love ourselves above all others, yet we put more stock in the opinions of others than in our own estimation of self....How much credence we give to the opinions our peers have of us and how little to our very own!