Quotes from Marcus Aurelius

Throw away your books; no longer distract yourself: it is not allowed.

17. Not to live as if you had endless years ahead of you. Death overshadows you. While you're alive and able—be good.

O Nature! from thee are all things, in thee all things subsist, and to thee all tend.

Consider thyself to be dead, and to have completed thy life up to the present time; and live according to nature the remainder which is allowed thee.

Not to wander out of the way, but upon every motion and desire, to perform that which is just: and ever to be careful to attain to the true natural apprehension of every fancy, that presents itself.

Es preciso, pues, aprovechar el tiempo, y ello no solo porque cada instante es un paso más que damos hacia la muerte, sino por el hecho de que antes de morir perdemos la capacidad de concebir las cosas y de prestarles la atención que merecen.

The life of such a man, death can never surprise as imperfect; like an actor, who had to die before the end, or the play itself was over, a man could speak.

A man who has put first his own mind and divinity, and worships the supremacy of the god within him, makes no drama of his life, no hand-wringing, no craving for solitude or crowds:

But true good fortune is what you make for yourself. Good fortune: good character, good intentions, and good actions.

Let a glance at thyself bring to mind one of the Caesars. Then let the thought strike thee: where are they now? Nowhere, or none can say where. For thus shalt thou habitually look upon human things as mere smoke and as naught; and more than ever so, if thou bethink thee that what has once changed will exist no more throughout eternity. Why strive then and strain?

Sufrir percances no es una desgracia; en cambio, soportarlos con valor es una virtud meritoria

Is it not possible that a real man should forget about living a certain number of years, and should not cling to life, but leave it up to the gods, accepting, as women say, that 'no one can escape his fate,' and turn his attention to how he can best live the life before him?

is my bad luck that this has happened to me.' No, you should rather say: 'It is my good luck that, although this has happened to me, I can bear it without pain, neither crushed by the present nor fearful of the future.' Because such a thing could have happened to any man, but not every man could have borne it without pain. So why see more misfortune in the event than good fortune in your ability to bear it?

iii. that if you were suddenly lifted up and could see life and its variety from a vast height, and at the same time all the things around you, in the sky and beyond it, you'd see how pointless it is. And no matter how often you saw it, it would be the same: the same life forms, the same life span. Arrogance … about this?

Receive without conceit; release without a struggle.

El mejor procedimiento para vengarse de los malos es procurar no asemejarse a ellos.

Let this be thy only joy, and thy only comfort, from one sociable kind action without intermission to pass unto another

Whatsoever is, was made for something: as a horse, a vine. Why wonderest thou? The sun itself will say of itself, I was made for something; and so hath every god its proper function. What then were thou made for? to disport and delight thyself? See how even common sense and reason cannot brook it.

Accordingly, on every occasion a man should ask himself, Is this one of the unnecessary things? Now a man should take away not only unnecessary acts, but also unnecessary thoughts, for thus superfluous acts will not follow after.

Look at the universe of which you are a part. Realize that you exist within its constant flux, that your days are numbered, and that if you don't clear the clouds from your mind now, you may never have another chance.

To comprehend all in a few words, our life is short; we must endeavour to gain the present time with best discretion and justice. Use recreation with sobriety.

Considerando que é possível tu deixares esta vida a qualquer momento, administra cada ato, palavra e pensamento em consonância com isso.

unknown Byzantine poet composed a brief appreciation that came to be copied along with the text: ON THE BOOK OF MARCUS If you desire to master pain Unroll this book and read with care, And in it find abundantly A knowledge of the things that are, Those that have been, and those to come. And know as well that joy and grief Are nothing more than empty smoke.

In this infinity then what is the difference between him who lives three days and him who lives three generations? Always