Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 10.11 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 10.11
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. Such a man has put off the body, and as he sees that he must, no one knows how soon, go away from among men and leave everything here, he gives himself up entirely to just doing in all his actions, and in everything else that happens he resigns himself to the universal nature. 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.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 10.11, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/10.11
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesTrain yourself to see how everything turns into everything else, since nothing builds greatness of spirit like it. Someone who has absorbed this knows he will soon leave everything behind, so he commits to acting justly now, accepts whatever happens, ignores what others think or do against him, and drops distracting busyness to follow the straight path.
Older wording
- “magnanimity”
- — greatness of spirit
Themes and situations
- Change and impermanence
- Virtue and character
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Acceptance and fate
- Being criticised or insulted
- Fear of death
- Searching for meaning
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