Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 8.43 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.43
Different things delight different people. But it is my delight to keep the ruling faculty sound without turning away either from any man or from any of the things which happen to men, but looking at and receiving all with welcome eyes and using everything according to its value.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.43, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/8.43
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesDifferent people take pleasure in different things, but the real satisfaction is keeping your own mind healthy and clear, never turning away from people or events, meeting everything with a welcoming eye, and using each thing for what it is worth.
Older wording
- “ruling faculty”
- — your reasoning mind
Themes and situations
- Peace of mind
- Acceptance and fate
- Kindness and forgiveness
- Virtue and character
- Everyday irritations
- Conflict at work
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