The MEDITATIONS of MARCUS AURELIUS: A Book That Will Change Your Life

Harvard Classics Volume 2 Book 6

Nov 30, 2024

My Video: “The MEDITATIONS of MARCUS AURELIUS: A Book That Will Change Your Life”

Imagine being the most powerful man in the world, consumed in wars with the Germanic tribes of Europe. You are camped on the edge of the great wilderness of chaos. You sit down a few miles from the enemy’s position and write down how blessed you are and how much you appreciate your parents and teachers. You ponder life and lessons learned. You are not just writing about stoicism. You are in the arena of life, living it. Let’s meet Marcus Aurelius and explore his meditations.

Hello, everyone, and welcome to The Cause.

My name is Rob, and today we are going to discuss the 6th book in the 2nd volume of the Harvard Classics series, “Meditations” By Marcus Aurelius. Marcus is a truly remarkable figure in history, and many influential people throughout history have studied his journal. Let’s set up the context and background quickly, and then I’ll dive into “Meditations” by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

HISTORY:

The Harvard Classics has a history and philosophy section on Marcus Aurelius. Therefore, I will keep the background brief in this one, as we will delve into the history of MA in the next post. It is well known that Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor. He ruled from 161 -180 AD. So just short of 20 years. His death would mark a significant turning point in Roman history. The empire would decline after this, at least in the Eastern theatre. Most of his reign was spent fighting the Germanic Tribes. If you have seen the movie Gladiator with Russel Crowe, well, he is the old man at the beginning of the film sitting in the wagon in the opening scene.

Marcus would keep a journal or a diary, and I feel the same as most historians: this journal was not meant for the world. The journal repeatedly presents concepts and ideas. So, it was never cleaned up or edited, so to speak. I have kept a journal in the past, and it is a good way to write down things you’re struggling with. To analyze your issues and then come up with ideas and ways to fix them on paper. To me, this is what his journal was all about. I truly do not think Marcus Aurelius was as perfect as people believe or as the journal portrays him to be. I believe he is writing these things down because he struggles with them. It appears he fears death and losing the amazing life he has lived because he is constantly writing down how it does not matter. When I look back at my journal, the things I focused on the most were the issues I struggled with the most. You may not notice when I say, for example.

“Make sure every morning your day is planned, or the day will control you instead of you controlling your day.”

That sounds great when I write it down, but I write that down because I struggle with it.

I know what I should do, but as the day unfolds, I react and forget and don’t accomplish what I needed to get done. Reading through the mediation a second time, I realized that everything I am reading, especially the subjects brought up multiple times, are issues that Marcus must have been struggling to resolve. I never struggle with getting up early, so I never feel the need to journal about it. However, there are other things I struggle with, and reading through my journal reveals this clearly through repetition and frequency. With that being said, let’s dive into his journal.

There are 12 books or chapters in meditations, and only the first one is noticeably different to me.

Book 1:

The main focus of book one is on giving thanks. He goes through everyone that has impacted his life, from family to teachers to friends, and it sets up the foundation for what kind of man Marcus was. The terms he uses to describe what he is thankful for are… Morals, piety, beneficence, manly character, endurance, education, abstinence, and temperance. These terms also help point out what he values. He mentions being acquainted with the “Discourses of Epictetus”. These are, in my opinion, better than the Golden Sayings, which we covered in the previous post.

He began studying Stoicism from a young age. This journal was written while he was the most powerful man in the world. The fact that an emperor looks back and is thankful for his teachers, his mother, and all the blessings in his life is noble.

For fathers out there in Book One, verse 16, Marcus describes what he was thankful for in his father. I will not include it here, as it is a bit lengthy, but I recommend that new dads read it. Slowly, thoroughly, and often. It is a good one for moms, too. Heck, that's how we should all strive to be. Let's move to book 2.

Book 2:

The main focus of Book Two is on productivity, rather than procrastination. He starts the book with the famous line:

“Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busybody, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial.”

Many people we encounter in life are unaware of what is right and wrong. It’s the crazies you meet at school or the ungrateful coworker. It’s the insane driver on Hwy 16 passing the school bus mid-stop on your way to work. It’s the angry customer, the messed-up order. You will meet all these people on a daily basis. They are not going anywhere. You must learn to deal with them. He goes on to say:

“Since it is possible that though mayest depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly.”

We all know this. Someone dies, and it hits you for a couple of days how fragile life is, and then… BAM! You are back to going through the motions and wasting time again. And he says here…

“You can’t lose the past or the future. You only can lose the present.”

You have no more control over the past. You can learn from it, but what about the success of the future? It hinges solely on what you are doing in the present. You technically own the present because you have free will. Almost anything is doable in the present. Because the present is the same for all. The issue is that we must deal with the consequences and results of our actions in the future. So, act appropriately in the present.

This book also contains the five violences of the soul, which are.

Becoming an abscess or tumor in the universe.
1. Do not be a negative force in the world.
When the soul turns away or does evil to another man.
1. Be kind, considerate, and respectful.
When the soul does violence to itself through pleasure and pain.
1. Overeating and drug abuse feel good at the moment, but in the end, they destroy the body and soul.
Being insincere or dishonest. Lying.
1. Don’t lie and strive to be humble.
When the soul moves through life aimlessly.
1. Find a cause or a purpose for good and stay focused.

Let's move on to book 3.

Book 3:

Book three focuses on accepting your life's circumstances and exploring your identity. It also has some good lines. One I like is this.

“Do not waste the remainder of thy life in thoughts about others.”

We must control what we think about and gatekeep what enters our minds. He follows this with.

“A man should hold on to the opinion not of all but of those only who confessedly live according to nature.”

I like this because so many times we want the unjust to like us. You still want to seem hip and cool around people who do not share your values or morals. Why are you trying to fit in with people that you do not even respect? Don’t let the opinion of “the player” tell you how your marriage is outdated. Be confident in what you believe and appreciate only the views of those who share the same standards of living.

Marcus says,

“A man then must stand erect, not be kept erect by others.”

If your standards are important to you, then you are responsible for maintaining them at the level you have set. It is no one else’s job.

Book4:

Book 4 contains a concept I wish were taught more in schools. He says,

“For nowhere, either with more quiet or freedom from trouble, do a man retire than into his own soul.”

He says,

“and I affirm that tranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind. Constantly then give thyself this retreat and renew thyself.”

Everyone must put their mind in order daily and maintain it every week. It will enhance your happiness, peace, decision-making, and relationships. Take some time to find a place where you can do this. Build it somewhere if you need to, because the outcome of your future depends on how well you order your mind today. I also can’t express how important this concept is to your mental health.

Take the time to sit in silence and unpack all the boxes in your mind that need to be cleaned out. Be honest, be patient, and be thorough. It can be glossed over very quickly, but this is the most important concept of this book. Marcus Aurelius, through the repetition of all these sayings, is just ordering his mind. That is what his meditations are. Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I see so many people struggle with this. Take some time to understand yourself and repair your thoughts. All the relationships around you will benefit if you can set your mind in good order. Another good line is:

“How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it may be just and pure.”

This made me think of the recent Republican debates. When the moderator asked the entire group to raise their hand if they would support Trump if he won the nomination. Immediately, one hand went up, but the others —DeSantis, Hailey, and Bush — all started looking around to see who was raising a hand. One hand is raised, and gradually all the hands follow suit. Those 5 seconds showed more about the character, leadership, and confidence of everyone up there than the entire rest of the debate.

“Look not round at the depraved morals of others, but straight along the line without deviating from it.”

There is a more famous line in book 4 that goes:

“Be like the promontory against which the waves continually break, but it stands firm and tames the water around it.”

“Promontory” (which is just a natural elevation like a rock or something)

I believe this is one of my leading roles in my family. My emotions and actions must be kept in check because if I am flying off the handle, getting loud, arguing, or yelling, then clearly those waves of life are rocking me. Ground yourself and be that force that your family can cling to and see strength in. It’s listening when needed. Seeing the dishes piled up in the sink, I stepped in and knocked them out. Waking up early ensures everyone arrives at their destination on time. The rock is not assertive, loud, aggressive, or angry. It is steadfast and peaceful. It looks out at the torrents and chaos of life and gently smiles, knowing it can handle any wave the world throws at it. The men I have respected most in life are not the ones with fancy watches or nice cars, nor those who can fight the best or curse the loudest. The men who have gained my respect the most are those with the ability to walk into a chaotic situation and calmly and gently create order out of the chaos. Those men are needed more than ever nowadays. As parents, it is our duty to give our children the tools and the mindset to be that rock for their family one day. Nothing is better than both parents having the capability to become that rock on which the family can rest its worries.

Book 5.

Book five starts with the struggle to get out of bed. Depending on where you are in life, you will most likely go through a phase where you struggle to get up. You may not be excited about the day, or you may not have duties yet that require your early attention. He says it is our purpose, everyone’s purpose, to go out and make order of the day. Make things better, improve the surroundings, work your job, and if you are fortunate enough to have your own business, then improve society. The bee provides honey, the cow provides milk, and the garden provides nice vegetables. How fortunate you are to wake up today; now let’s order the best we can.

There are two lines.

One:

“Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear.”

And two:

“That which is an obstacle on the road helps us on this road.”

Or, as you are more familiar with, the obstacle is the way. These two are connected in a way. We have eliminated many of the hardships of nature over the past few decades. By doing this, I believe we will eventually pay a price. There are not too many obstacles in our way anymore for essentials like food and water. The things we bear nowadays are trivial compared to what we had 100 years ago. In the past, nature had a way of equipping us with the tools to deal with life. I fear that if the “cloak of comfort” we have wrapped ourselves in over the past 80 to 100 years is ever pulled away, we may not be able to cope. I don’t know if we will be capable of bearing what was considered the norm back then. Nature hasn’t had the chance to mold us, and the big obstacles in life have all been removed before us. Our paths are paved with nice yellow bricks with 1st World trifles sprinkled around them. And I digress…

Book 6:

Book six has a good line right in the beginning.

“The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like the wrong-doer.”

It has been in me to stoop down into the gutter and act stupid in the past. It's hard to take the high road. To walk away from angry words, to not return a push with a punch. Like that night in Virginia Beach with a good friend after some hefty libations… I still love you, Thompson…

“Accustom thyself to attend carefully to what is said by another, and as much as is possible, be in the speaker’s mind.”

I struggled with this when I was younger, and depending on my mood, honestly, I still do. Giving someone 100% of your focus can be hard in this distracted world we live in. Definitely a good one for me to keep in the journal to read over periodically.

Book 7:

In book 7, right off the bat, a good line is mentioned.

“How can our principles become dead, unless the impressions (thoughts) which correspond to them are extinguished.”

This is important. It is essential to have a free-thinking and a republic-based society. And I believe it is the primary issue destroying the minds of our young people today. When schools and organizations no longer discuss, promote, mention, or engage in conversations about principles such as virtue, patriotism, love of family, respect for elders, parents, and morals. Then, like Marcus said…

Your principles become dead.

When most of the population no longer shares the same principles or values, a republic can no longer function. We can’t allow that to happen. That can be an entirely separate post, though. Please let me know in the comments if you would like me to delve deeper into that subject.

“Let not future things disturb thee for thou wilt come to them, if it shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which now thou uses for present things.”

I was a project manager for a while, and after a few years, I came to realize that the problem gets solved every time. I may have to spend more time on it. Throw a little more resources or money at it. I may have to explain a bad situation to a customer. But every project would eventually get solved. It reached a point where I didn’t care how hard the project was going to be, because I knew, with reason, resources, and by asking questions, I would figure it out.

“Attend to the matter which is before thee, whether it is an opinion or an act or a word.”

Marcus is telling himself to stay focused.

Book 8:

Moving into book 8. Another great line in this one is here:

“Thou suffers this justly, for thou choosest to become good tomorrow than to be good today.”

Tomorrow you can become, but today you can be! Tomorrow, you can start running, or you can lace up your shoes and run right now. Starting tomorrow is a good way to justify the bad decisions I made today, and I am speaking of myself here. I do this all the time. I procrastinated writing this post for the past two days. Procrastination is a notoriously difficult habit to break.

“Wipe out thy imagination by often saying to thyself: now it is in my power to let no badness be in this soul nor desire, nor any perturbation at all:”

We must control what goes into our minds. It can be the difference between a healthy, happy life and one marked by anger, greed, and comparison. Temperance to your imagination is important. Let it run wild in creativity and positive ideas, but put a hard stop to areas of destructive thoughts or aims. This leads perfectly to this next statement:

“Therefore, the mind which is free from passions is a citadel, for man has nothing more secure to which he can fly for refuge and for the future be inexpugnable.”

Inexpugnable means incapable of being overcome, challenged, or refuted. If you control your thoughts, monitor the inputs into your brain, and organize what is upstairs in your head. Then, you will create a citadel that cannot be overcome. Why is this not taught more in schools? This is an extremely important concept for living a fulfilling and contented life. And again, this is all this journal is to Marcus Aurelius. It was not meant to be an easy read or edited perfectly. This entire book is about him organizing his thoughts. I simply love it.

Book 9:

“Set thyself in motion, if it is in thy power, and do not look about thee to see if anyone will observe it; nor yet expect Plato’s republic.”

How you do things when no one is watching tells a lot about you. It is easy nowadays to use social media or create a Substack and post all the amazing work you are doing, but what are you doing when the camera is off? I also appreciate how he references Plato’s Republic. Perfect worlds do not exist.

Let me say here. I would highly suggest getting a copy of Plato’s Republic. It is referenced so much, from here in Meditations to podcasts and movies. Terms like the “philosopher king” only make sense after you have read The Republic. It is in the form of a dialogue, and I found it rather easy to read through. I grew up down here in the public school system of Louisiana, so the rest of the population is more than capable of reading through the Republic.

Here in Book Nine, we get a glimpse of Marcus Aurelius questioning things rather forcefully.

“Enough of this wretched life and murmuring and apish tricks. Why art thou disturbed? What is there new in this? What unsettles thee?”

Who is he talking to? We must remember he is warring with the Germanic tribes while writing most of this and is actively in the location, not just managing from Rome. Every day was not a peaceful meditation. The darkest parts of our existence are meant to test us and drive us to grow—understanding “why” at the time is not as important as making it through.

Book 10:

“The life of a citizen is happy, who continues a course of action which is advantageous to his fellow citizens and is content with whatever the state may assign him.”

Take this series I am creating here. I truly find joy in reading and making them. The hope is to improve the society around me, and, amazingly, something so simple can contain so much joy. It is kind of like that quote from Jordan Peterson:

“Be a force for good in the world and that will be an adventure of your life.”

One of the more famous lines of Meditations is found in Book 10:

“No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to be, but be such.”

I feel this way about Christianity sometimes. We get so focused on telling everyone how they should live that we forget to live the way we are telling others to live.

My definition of man and the duties of man may be different than yours. We could argue all day about who is right, but Marcus says, be the man you are and live as a good man should. I love that.

Book 11:

He continues the discussion on being a man in book 11 with:

“That to be moved by passions is not manly, but that mildness and gentleness, as they are more agreeable to human nature, so also are they more manly; and he who possesses these qualities possesses strength, nerves and courage, and not the man who is subject to fits of passion and discontent.”

Nothing is more unmanly than a man who can’t control his temper and keep his anger in check. Calmness under stress, taking accountability boldly, and being respectful. That’s what I look for in a man. It reminds me of the Poem If by Rudyard Kipling.

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too.

If you have young children, I highly recommend that you make it a point for them to memorize that poem. And memorize it yourself. You are never too young to commit good knowledge to memory.

There are 9 rules included in book 11. It’s about 2 pages of reading, so I will not dive into them here. Just know they are really good to think over and compare how you are living to these rules he lists out, and see if there is any room for improvement.

Book 12:

The last book. There is a line in here that I sat back and thought about for a bit.

“How worthless everything is after which men violently strain.”

A great line to reflect on. Most of us have jobs to pay for a variety of things that don’t truly bring us happiness. But we strain away every day in pursuit of all the worthless stuff. The fourth to last paragraph sums up Marcus’s thoughts and Meditations, in my opinion.

“How small a part of the boundless and unfathomable time is assigned to every man! For it is very soon swallowed up in the eternal. And how small a part of the whole substance! And how small a part of the universal soul! And on what a small clod of the whole earth thou creepiest. Reflecting on all this, consider nothing to be great, except to act as thy nature leads, thee, and to endure that which the common nature brings.”

You are allotted only a small amount of time on Earth, and that time passes quickly. How little we are to the entire earth; out of all the souls, you are just one. And the little piece of real estate you own and live on is a blip on the radar. Nothing truly matters in life except to live a just and good life and be able to endure whatever the world throws at you.

The end! These are the meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

Conclusion:

I truly hope you enjoyed my ramblings on the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. It’s a remarkable book that isn't meant to be read just once, and it doesn’t have to be read all at once. Pick a couple of pages and digest them over a few weeks. Read it once a year. Reflect, apply, evaluate, and repeat.

If you enjoy these posts, please consider subscribing to my Substack and liking the post. This helps the content reach a wider audience, and I would love nothing more than to spread the message of these notable classics. It's great to hear from some of you as you’ve joined me in reading through them. All the commentary you provide has helped me gain a deeper understanding of these books. So, I truly appreciate all the great advice and knowledge you are sharing.

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