Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 6.2 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 6.2
Let it make no difference to thee whether thou art cold or warm, if thou art doing thy duty; and whether thou art drowsy or satisfied with sleep; and whether ill-spoken of or praised; and whether dying or doing something else. For it is one of the acts of life, this act by which we die: it is sufficient then in this act also to do well what we have in hand.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 6.2, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/6.2
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesYour comfort, sleepiness, reputation and even whether you are dying should not change your commitment to doing your duty well. Dying is just one more thing you do in life, so it is enough to do the task in front of you properly, even that one.
Themes and situations
- Duty and roles
- Death and mortality
- Resilience and endurance
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Self-discipline and habit
- Fear of death
- Being criticised or insulted
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