Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 11.28 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.28
Consider what a man Socrates was when he dressed himself in a skin, after Xanthippe had taken his cloak and gone out, and what Socrates said to his friends who were ashamed of him and drew back from him when they saw him dressed thus.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.28, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/11.28
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesRemember how unbothered Socrates was when his wife took his cloak and he had to go out wearing an animal skin, and how he answered friends who were embarrassed to be seen with him. It is a model for not letting appearances, or other people's embarrassment, shake you.
Older wording
- “Xanthippe”
- — Socrates's wife, proverbially sharp-tongued
Themes and situations
- Pride and humility
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Peace of mind
- Family and love
- Being criticised or insulted
- Family conflict
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