Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 7.54 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.54
Everywhere and at all times it is in thy power piously to acquiesce in thy present condition, and to behave justly to those who are about thee, and to exert thy skill upon thy present thoughts, that nothing shall steal into them without being well examined.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.54, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/7.54
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesAt any time and in any place you can do three things: accept your present situation calmly, treat the people around you fairly, and examine your thoughts so nothing slips into your mind unchecked. Those are always in your power.
Older wording
- “acquiesce”
- — accept without resistance
- “piously”
- — with respect for the divine order of things
Themes and situations
- What is in our control
- Acceptance and fate
- Judgements and impressions
- Justice and fairness
- Anxiety about the future
- A career setback
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