Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 9.34 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 9.34
What are these men’s leading principles, and about what kind of things are they busy, and for what kind of reasons do they love and honour? Imagine that thou seest their poor souls laid bare. When they think that they do harm by their blame or good by their praise, what an idea!
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 9.34, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/9.34
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesPicture what drives the people whose opinions you care about, what they busy themselves with and why they love or honour things, as if you could see their small souls laid bare. Once you do, the idea that their blame can hurt you or their praise can improve you looks absurd.
Older wording
- “leading principles”
- — a person's guiding beliefs and values
Themes and situations
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Insult and criticism
- Judgements and impressions
- Being criticised or insulted
- Handling success
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