Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful and important man in the world. He was emperor of Rome for almost two decades starting in the year 161 A.D.Although Marcus was a powerful ruler, his problems appear to be surprisingly similar to the problems we all face daily. For example,<ul><li>He felt anxious about his son getting sick,</li><li>He worried about other people’s opinions,</li><li>He tried not to get angry with selfish people, and most importantly…</li><li>He had trouble sometimes, living inside his comfort zones.</li></ul>

Who was Marcus Aurelius and why listen to him?

Being superior to pain and pleasure allows us to <a href="https://dailystoic.com/amor-fati-love-of-fate/">fully accept the course of nature</a> and focus on being virtuous. Our perceptions of events as troublesome are the real source of any unhappiness we experience, not the events themselves. Marcus believed that a person could immediately wipe any upsetting impressions from their mind and be at peace. He also recommended remembering the following whenever we experience anxiety

Problems are Created in the Mind

Marcus reminded himself to not be upset by the misdeeds of others and to correct them if possible, but if they were stubborn and would not change, to accept it. In reacting to such people, we must never allow our own principles to be violated. Moreover, we should never be surprised by the wicked deeds of others. He believed that people do bad things out of ignorance of what is good and evil, and that we should forgive them for their errors, even when they harm us.

The Evil That Men Do Harms You Only if You Do Evil in Response

Marcus knew that our ability to reason is what sets us apart from the animals and is an important power that we must use to the fullest. He believed (like all Stoics) that our reason could be used to understand the universal reason present in nature, which would lead to agreement with it even if events seemed harmful. Our rational minds have complete power over our opinions and the mind only experiences suffering when it itself creates a desire for a specific outcome in life.

Your Rational Mind is Your Greatest Asset

Marcus—who had more control over his environment than most—was also the pen behind these lines: “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

“Let not future things disturb you, for you will come to them, if it shall be necessary, having with you the same reason which you now use for present things.”

<ul><li>The most important lesson to take away from Meditations is that our minds have great power.</li><li>People will always do awful (or at least unpleasant) things and we are only responsible for our own virtue.</li><li>The deepest lesson in Meditations relates to our mortality and the shortness of life.</li></ul>

Three Key Takeaway Lessons from Meditations

<a href="https://dailystoic.com/marcus-aurelius/">Marcus Aurelius</a>’s strongest philosophy comes when he speaks on the eternally changing nature of the universe and <a href="http://dailystoic.com/memento-mori">the acceptance of death</a>. He reminds us that all of us will die, however, we only ever lose the present moment because that is all we ever have. Nobody “loses more” by dying early. The longest and shortest life will end the same way and be finished for the same eternity.He also reminds us that <a href="http://dailystoic.com/memento-mori">we could die at any moment and to live to the fullest while we still can</a>.

The Universe is Change

Marcus repeatedly explains why <a href="https://dailystoic.com/fame/">the pursuit of fame and praise is foolish</a> and why we especially should not care about what others think of us after we die. He points out that so many famous men have been forgotten, that those who would praise one posthumously will themselves soon die. He explains that there are no immortal actions. He also explains that nothing is made better by praise, the beauty of things comes from the thing itself and not what people say about it.

Fame and Desires are Not Worth Pursuing

Offers a modern translation of the Roman philosopher's journal.

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Books

Meditations (Medieval Greek: Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν, romanized: Ta eis he'auton, lit. 'things to one's self') is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time planning military campaigns from 170 to 180. Some of it was written while he was positioned at Aquincum on campaign in Pannonia, because internal notes tell us that the first book was written when he was campaigning against the Quadi on the river Granova (modern-day Hron) and the second book was written at Carnuntum.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known, noncontemporaneously, as the Five Good Emperors and the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace, calmness and stability for the Roman Empire lasting from 27 BC to 180 AD.

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