Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 8.53 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.53
Dost thou wish to be praised by a man who curses himself thrice every hour? Wouldst thou wish to please a man who does not please himself? Does a man please himself who repents of nearly everything that he does?
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.53, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/8.53
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesWhy crave praise from someone who constantly curses himself? A person who dislikes himself and regrets nearly everything he does is a poor judge, and his approval is not worth pursuing.
Older wording
- “repents”
- — regrets
Themes and situations
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Judgements and impressions
- Virtue and character
- Being criticised or insulted
- A difficult boss
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