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Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius Quotes

Roman emperor

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Famous Marcus Aurelius Quotes

“In the end, what would you gain from everlasting remembrance? Absolutely nothing. So what is left worth living for? This alone: justice in thought, goodness in action, speech that cannot deceive, and a disposition glad of whatever comes, welcoming it as necessary, as familiar, as flowing from the same source and fountain as yourself.”

EndsActionLeftJusticeSourceSpeechGoodnessGainsGladFamiliarWelcomeDeceivingRemembranceDispositionFountainEverlastingWorth LivingAbsolutely Nothing
Book:The Emperor's Handbook: A New Translation of The Meditations
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“When you are annoyed at someone's mistake, immediately look at yourself and reflect how you also fail; for example, in thinking that good equals money, or pleasure, or a bit of fame. By being mindful of this you'll quickly forget your anger, especially if you realize that the person was under stress, and could do little else. And, if you can, find a way to alleviate that stress.”

IfsThinkingWayLooksLittlesPersonsBitsRealizingForgetPleasureMistakeFailingExamplePerspectiveFameStressAnnoyedForget YouAlleviateLook At YourselfUnder Stress
Author:Marcus Aurelius
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“Just consider, my friend, whether a pure spirit and virtue are anything other than saving your life and being saved. Perhaps we need to discard the idea of longevity and cease loving this life, instead committing these things to God and, believing that no one ever escapes destiny, to consider, with that in mind, how we may live the best possible life in the time that remains.”

LifeNeedsMindBelieveMayIdeasSpiritDestinyVirtuePureMy FriendsRemainsSavedCeaseSavingThis LifeLongevitySaving Your Life
Author:Marcus Aurelius
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“Why should anyone be afraid of change? What can take place without it? What can be more pleasing or more suitable to universal nature? Can you take your bath without the firewood undergoing a change? Can you eat without the food undergoing a change? And can anything useful be done without change? Don't you see that for you to change is just the same, and is equally necessary for universal nature?”

ShouldDoneChangeUniversalBathsSuitableFirewoodAfraid Of Change
Author:Marcus Aurelius
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“Letting go all else, cling to the following few truths. Remember that man lives only in the present, in this fleeting instant: all the rest of his life is either past and gone, or not yet revealed. This mortal life is a little thing, lived in a little corner of the earth; and little, too, is the longest fame to come - dependent as it is on a succession of fast-perishing little men who have no knowledge even of their own selves, much less of one long dead and gone.”

MenLittlesLongSelfTruthEarthPastRememberLife IsGoneFameLetting GoFollowingCornersMortalsInstantDependentLittle ThingsFleetingSuccessionLittle ManPerishing
Author:Marcus Aurelius
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“But if anything in thy own dispositiongives thee pain, who hinders thee from correcting thy opinion? And even if thou art pained because thou art not doing some particular thing which seems to thee to be right, why dost thou not rather act than complain?- But some insuperable obstacle is in the way?- Do not be grieved then, for the cause of its not being done depends not on thee.- But it is not worth while to live if this cannot be done.- Take thy departure then from life contentedly, just as he dies who is in full activity, and well pleased too with the things which are obstacles.”

IfsWayWellsArtDoneSeemsPainDiesCausesOpinionParticularDependsActivityObstaclesComplainingTheeDepartureHinderCorrectingBeing Done
Book:Stoic Six Pack: Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, Golden Sayings, Fragments and Discourses of Epictetus, Letters from a Stoic and The Enchiridion
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“Do not fear death, but welcome it, since it too comes from nature. For just as we are young and grow old, and flourish and reach maturity, have teeth and a beard and grey hairs, conceive, become pregnant, and bring forth new life, and all the other natural processes that follow the seasons of our existence, so also do we have death. A thoughtful person will never take death lightly, impatiently, or scornfully, but will wait for it as one of life's natural processes.”

PersonsYoungDeathGrowsWaitingProcessNaturalExistenceHairSeasonsTeethWelcomeMaturityThoughtfulPregnantGreyNew LifeFear Of DeathBeardDo Not FearGrey HairDo Not Fear Death
Author:Marcus Aurelius
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“Take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.”

CareHappinessVirtueDependsNotionTake CareReasonableTrue HappinessGreat HappinessLife HappinessLife And HappinessSecret To HappinessWhat Is HappinessAttaining HappinessMoney HappinessMoney And HappinessHappier LifeVirtue And HappinessChoosing Happiness
Book:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus His Conversation with Himself: Together with the Preliminary Discourse of the Learned Gataker ; as Also the Emperor's Life
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“Does what's happened keep you from acting with justice, generosity, self-control, sanity, prudence, honesty, humility, straightforward ness, and all other qualities that allow a person's nature to fulfill itself? So remember this principle when something threatens to cause you pain: the thing itself was no misfortune at all; to endure it and prevail is great good fortune.”

PersonsDoeSelfPainRememberCausesJusticeActingQualityPrinciplesHappenedHonestyHumilityFortuneEndureGenerosityMisfortunesSanitySelf ControlPrudenceGood FortuneStraightforward
Book:Meditations: A New Translation
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“When you need encouragement, think of the qualities the people around you have: this one's energy, that one's modesty, another's generosity, and so on. Nothing is as encouraging as when virtues are visibly embodied in the people around us, when we're practically showered with them. It's good to keep this in mind.”

PeopleThinkingNeedsMindEnergyQualityVirtueEncouragementGenerosityModestyNeed Encouragement
Book:Meditations: A New Translation
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“Just as nature takes every obstacle, every impediment, and works around it--turns it to its purposes, incorporates it into itself, so, too, a rational being can turn each setback into raw material and use it to achieve its goal.”

UsePurposeTurnsGoalAchieveMaterialsObstaclesRationalSetbackRaw MaterialsImpediments
Book:The Modern Library Collection of Greek and Roman Philosophy 3-Book Bundle: Meditations; Selected Dialogues of Plato; The Basic Works of Aristotle
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