Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 8.44 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.44
See that thou secure this present time to thyself: for those who rather pursue posthumous fame do consider that the men of after time will be exactly such as these whom they cannot bear now; and both are mortal. And what is it in any way to thee if these men of after time utter this or that sound, or have this or that opinion about thee?
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.44, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/8.44
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesMake sure you claim the present for yourself. People who chase fame after death forget that future generations will be just as irritating as the people they cannot stand now, and equally mortal, so what those later people think of you is no concern of yours.
Older wording
- “posthumous”
- — after death
Themes and situations
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Time and the present
- Ambition and success
- Death and mortality
- Feeling life is slipping by
- Handling success
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