Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 4.8 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.8
That which does not make a man worse than he was, also does not make his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or from within.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.8, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/4.8
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesWhatever fails to make you a worse person cannot make your life worse, whether it comes from outside or from inside. Only damage to your own character truly harms you.
Themes and situations
- Virtue and character
- Adversity and hardship
- Judgements and impressions
- What is in our control
- Being criticised or insulted
- Being treated unfairly
- A career setback
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