Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 7.28 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.28
Retire into thyself. The rational principle which rules has this nature, that it is content with itself when it does what is just, and so secures tranquility.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.28, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/7.28
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesWithdraw into your own mind. Your reasoning mind is content with itself when it acts justly, and that contentment is where calm comes from, not from outside circumstances.
Older wording
- “rational principle”
- — your reasoning mind
Themes and situations
- Peace of mind
- Solitude and retreat
- Virtue and character
- Anxiety about the future
- Burnout and overwork
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