Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 7.3 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.3
The idle business of show, plays on the stage, flocks of sheep, herds, exercises with spears, a bone cast to little dogs, a bit of bread into fishponds, labourings of ants and burden-carrying, runnings about of frightened little mice, puppets pulled by strings—all alike. It is thy duty then in the midst of such things to show good humour and not a proud air; to understand however that every man is worth just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.3, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/7.3
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesMost human busyness, from public spectacles to the chase for status, looks like animals and puppets going through their paces. Stay good-humoured rather than haughty in the midst of it, and remember that a person is worth exactly as much as the things they devote themselves to.
Older wording
- “business of show”
- — showy public entertainments and display
Themes and situations
- Pride and humility
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Ambition and success
- Judgements and impressions
- Handling success
- Feeling life is slipping by
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