Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (good books to read .txt) 📕

pleasure, should come into competition with that which is rationally and

politically [or practically] good. All these things, even though they may

seem to adapt themselves [to the better things] in a small degree, obtain

the superiority all at once, and carry us away. But do thou, I say,

simply and freely choose the better, and hold to it.—But that which is

useful is the better.—Well, then, if it is useful to thee as a rational

being, keep to it; but if it is only useful to thee as an animal, say so,

and maintain thy judgment without arrogance: only take care that thou

makest the inquiry by a sure method.

7. Never value anything as profitable to thyself which shall compel thee

to break thy promise, to lose thy self-respect, to hate any man, to

suspect, to curse, to act the hypocrite, to desire anything which needs

walls and curtains: for he who has preferred to everything else his own

intelligence and daemon and the worship of its excellence, acts no tragic

part, does not groan, will not need either solitude or much company; and,

what is chief of all, he will live without either pursuing or flying from

[death]; but whether for a longer or a shorter time he shall have the

soul enclosed in the body, he cares not at all: for even if he must

depart immediately, he will go as readily as if he were going to do

anything else which can be done with decency and order; taking care of

this only all through life, that his thoughts turn not away from anything

which belongs to an intelligent animal and a member of a civil community.

8. In the mind of one who is chastened and purified thou wilt find no

corrupt matter, nor impurity, nor any sore skinned over. Nor is his life

incomplete when fate overtakes him, as one may say of an actor who leaves

the stage before ending and finishing the play. Besides, there is in him

nothing servile, nor affected, nor too closely bound [to other things],

nor yet detached [from other things], nothing worthy of blame, nothing

which seeks a hiding-place.

9. Reverence the faculty which produces opinion. On this faculty it

entirely depends whether there shall exist in thy ruling part any opinion

inconsistent with nature and the constitution of the rational animal. And

this faculty promises freedom from hasty judgment, and friendship towards

men, and obedience to the gods.

10. Throwing away then all things, hold to these only which are few; and

besides, bear in mind that every man lives only this present time, which

is an indivisible point, and that all the rest of his life is either past

or it is uncertain. Short then is the time which every man lives, and

small the nook of the earth where he lives; and short too the longest

posthumous fame, and even this only continued by a succession of poor

human beings, who will very soon die, and who know not even themselves,

much less him who died long ago.

11. To the aids which have been mentioned let this one still be added:

Make for thyself a definition or description of the thing which is

presented to thee, so as to see distinctly what kind of a thing it is in

its substance, in its nudity, in its complete entirety, and tell thyself

its proper name, and the names of the things of which it has been

compounded, and into which it will be resolved. For nothing is so

productive of elevation of mind as to be able to examine methodically and

truly every object which is presented to thee in life, and always to look

at things so as to see at the same time what kind of universe this is,

and what kind of use everything performs in it, and what value everything

has with reference to the whole, and what with reference to man, who is a

citizen of the highest city, of which all other cities are like families;

what each thing is, and of what it is composed, and how long it is the

nature of this thing to endure which now makes an impression on me, and

what virtue I have need of with respect to it, such as gentleness,

manliness, truth, fidelity, simplicity, contentment, and the rest.

Wherefore, on every occasion a man should say: This comes from god; and

this is according to the apportionment and spinning of the thread of

destiny, and such-like coincidence and chance; and this is from one of

the same stock, and a kinsman and partner, one who knows not, however,

what is according to his nature. But I know; for this reason I behave

towards him according to the natural law of fellowship with benevolence

and justice. At the same time, however, in things indifferent I attempt

to ascertain the value of each.

12. If thou workest at that which is before thee, following right reason

seriously, vigorously, calmly, without allowing anything else to distract

thee, but keeping thy divine part pure, as if thou shouldst be bound to

give it back immediately; if thou holdest to this, expecting nothing,

fearing nothing, but satisfied with thy present activity according to

nature, and with heroic truth in every word and sound which thou

utterest, thou wilt live happy. And there is no man who is able to

prevent this.

13. As physicians have always their instruments and knives ready for

cases which suddenly require their skill, so do thou have principles

ready for the understanding of things divine and human, and for doing

everything, even the smallest, with a recollection of the bond which

unites the divine and human to one another. For neither wilt thou do

anything well which pertains to man without at the same time having a

reference to things divine; nor the contrary.

14. No longer wander at hazard; for neither wilt thou read thy own

memoirs, nor the acts of the ancient Romans and Hellenes, and the

selections from books which thou wast reserving for thy old age. Hasten

then to the end which thou hast before thee, and, throwing away idle

hopes, come to thy own aid, if thou carest at all for thyself, while it

is in thy power.

15. They know not how many things are signified by the words stealing,

sowing, buying, keeping quiet, seeing what ought to be done; for this is

not effected by the eyes, but by another kind of vision.

16. Body, soul, intelligence: to the body belong sensations, to the soul

appetites, to the intelligence principles. To receive the impressions of

forms by means of appearances belongs even to animals; to be pulled by

the strings of desire belongs both to wild beasts and to men who have

made themselves into women, and to a Phalaris and a Nero: and to have the

intelligence that guides to the things which appear suitable belongs also

to those who do not believe in the gods, and who betray their country,

and do their impure deeds when they have shut the doors. If then

everything else is common to all that I have mentioned, there remains

that which is peculiar to the good man, to be pleased and content with

what happens, and with the thread which is spun for him; and not to

defile the divinity which is planted in his breast, nor disturb it by a

crowd of images, but to preserve it tranquil, following it obediently as

a god, neither saying anything contrary to the truth, nor doing anything

contrary to justice. And if all men refuse to believe that he lives a

simple, modest, and contented life, he is neither angry with any of them,

nor does he deviate from the way which leads to the end of life, to which

a man ought to come pure, tranquil, ready to depart, and without any

compulsion perfectly reconciled to his lot.

BOOK IV.

1. That which rules within, when it is according to nature, is so

affected with respect to the events which happen, that it always easily

adapts itself to that which is possible and is presented to it. For it

requires no definite material, but it moves towards its purpose, under

certain conditions, however; and it makes a material for itself out of

that which opposes it, as fire lays hold of what falls into it, by which

a small light would have been extinguished: but when the fire is strong,

it soon appropriates to itself the matter which is heaped on it, and

consumes it, and rises higher by means of this very material.

2. Let no act be done without a purpose, nor otherwise than according to

the perfect principles of art.

3. Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores,

and mountains; and thou too art wont to desire such things very much. But

this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in

thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself. For nowhere

either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire

than into his own soul, particularly when he has within him such thoughts

that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquillity; and

I affirm that tranquillity is nothing else than the good ordering of the

mind. Constantly then give to thyself this retreat, and renew thyself;

and let thy principles be brief and fundamental, which, as soon as thou

shalt recur to them, will be sufficient to cleanse the soul completely,

and to send thee back free from all discontent with the things to which

thou returnest. For with what art thou discontented? With the badness of

men? Recall to thy mind this conclusion, that rational animals exist for

one another, and that to endure is a part of justice, and that men do

wrong involuntarily; and consider how many already, after mutual enmity,

suspicion, hatred, and fighting, have been stretched dead, reduced to

ashes; and be quiet at last.—But perhaps thou art dissatisfied with that

which is assigned to thee out of the universe.—Recall to thy

recollection this alternative; either there is providence or atoms

[fortuitous concurrence of things]; or remember the arguments by which it

has been proved that the world is a kind of political community [and be

quiet at last].—But perhaps corporeal things will still fasten upon

thee.—Consider then further that the mind mingles not with the breath,

whether moving gently or violently, when it has once drawn itself apart

and discovered its own power, and think also of all that thou hast heard

and assented to about pain and pleasure [and be quiet at last].—But

perhaps the desire of the thing called fame will torment thee.

—See how soon everything is forgotten, and look at the chaos

of infinite time on each side of [the present], and the emptiness of

applause, and the changeableness and want of judgment in those who

pretend to give praise, and the narrowness of the space within which it

is circumscribed [and be quiet at last]. For the whole earth is a point,

and how small a nook in it is this thy dwelling, and how few are there in

it, and what kind of people are they who will praise thee.

This then remains: Remember to retire into this little territory of thy

own, and above all do not distract or strain thyself, but be free, and

look at things as a man, as a human being, as a citizen, as a mortal. But

among the things readiest to thy hand to which thou shalt turn, let there

be these, which are two. One is that things do not touch the soul, for

they are external and remain immovable; but our