Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 7.64 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.64
In every pain let this thought be present, that there is no dishonour in it, nor does it make the governing intelligence worse, for it does not damage the intelligence either so far as the intelligence is rational or so far as it is social. Indeed in the case of most pains let this remark of Epicurus aid thee, that pain is neither intolerable nor everlasting, if thou bearest in mind that it has its limits, and if thou addest nothing to it in imagination: and remember this too, that we do not perceive that many things which are disagreeable to us are the same as pain, such as excessive drowsiness, and the being scorched by heat, and the having no appetite. When then thou art discontented about any of these things, say to thyself, that thou art yielding to pain.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.64, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/7.64
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesThere is no dishonour in pain, and it does not make your reasoning mind any worse. Pain is neither unbearable nor endless if you remember it has limits and add nothing to it with your imagination, and many discomforts, such as sleepiness, heat or lack of appetite, are not really pain, so giving in to complaining about them is giving in to pain.
Older wording
- “governing intelligence”
- — your reasoning mind
- “scorched”
- — burned or overheated
Themes and situations
- Pleasure and pain
- Illness and the body
- Resilience and endurance
- Judgements and impressions
- Illness or diagnosis
- Everyday irritations
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