200+ Quotes & Sayings By Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, ruling from 161 to 180 AD. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors" whose long reign was a period of great stability and success for the Roman Empire. He was deified by the Roman Senate in 180 AD, and continued to be worshiped until the fall of Rome in 476 AD.

Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love...
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Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart. Marcus Aurelius
Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and...
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Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. Marcus Aurelius
When you arise in the morning think of what a...
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When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ... Marcus Aurelius
Our life is what our thoughts make it.
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Our life is what our thoughts make it. Marcus Aurelius
The object of life is not to be on the...
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The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. Marcus Aurelius
Do every act of your life as though it were...
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Do every act of your life as though it were the very last act of your life. Marcus Aurelius
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of...
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The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature. Marcus Aurelius
Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the...
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Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it. Marcus Aurelius
It is not death that a man should fear, but...
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It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live. Marcus Aurelius
Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it,...
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Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present. Marcus Aurelius
The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The...
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The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are. Marcus Aurelius
Here is a rule to remember in future, when anything...
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Here is a rule to remember in future, when anything tempts you to feel bitter: not "This is misfortune, " but "To bear this worthily is good fortune. Marcus Aurelius
How much time he gains who does not look to...
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How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy. Marcus Aurelius
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Don't go on discussing what a good person should be. Just be one. Marcus Aurelius
Accept whatever comes to you woven in the pattern of...
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Accept whatever comes to you woven in the pattern of your destiny, for what could more aptly fit your needs? Marcus Aurelius
Do not act as if you had ten thousand years...
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Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to throw away. Death stands at your elbow. Be good for something while you live and it is in your power. Marcus Aurelius
Humans have come into being for the sake of each...
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Humans have come into being for the sake of each other, so either teach them, or learn to bear them. Marcus Aurelius
The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.
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The best revenge is not to be like your enemy. Marcus Aurelius
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When another blames you or hates you, or people voice similar criticisms, go to their souls, penetrate inside and see what sort of people they are. You will realize that there is no need to be racked with anxiety that they should hold any particular opinion about you. Marcus Aurelius
Look back over the past, with its changing empires that...
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Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future too. Marcus Aurelius
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If someone can prove me wrong and show me my mistake in any thought or action, I shall gladly change. I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone: the harm is to persist in one's own self-deception and ignorance. Marcus Aurelius
All things of the body stream away like a river,...
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All things of the body stream away like a river, all things of the mind are dreams and delusion; life is warfare, and a visit to a strange land; the only lasting fame is oblivion. Marcus Aurelius
All things fade and quickly turn to myth.
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All things fade and quickly turn to myth. Marcus Aurelius
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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 tranquility; and I affirm that tranquility 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 judgement 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. Marcus Aurelius
From the philosopher Catulus, never to be dismissive of a...
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From the philosopher Catulus, never to be dismissive of a friend's accusation, even if it seems unreasonable, but to make every effort to restore the relationship to its normal condition. Marcus Aurelius
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Observe the movements of the stars as if you were running their courses with them, and let your mind constantly dwell on the changes of the elements into each other. Such imaginings wash away the filth of life on the ground. Marcus Aurelius
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The time of a man's life is as a point; the substance of it ever flowing, the sense obscure; and the whole composition of the body tending to corruption. His soul is restless, fortune uncertain, and fame doubtful; to be brief, as a stream so are all things belonging to the body; as a dream, or as a smoke, so are all that belong unto the soul. Our life is a warfare, and a mere pilgrimage. Fame after life is no better than oblivion. What is it then that will adhere and follow? Only one thing, philosophy. And philosophy doth consist in this, for a man to preserve that spirit which is within him, from all manner of contumelies and injuries, and above all pains or pleasures; never to do anything either rashly, or feignedly, or hypocritically: only to depend from himself, and his own proper actions: all things that happen unto him to embrace contentendly, as coming from Him from whom he himself also came; and above all things, with all meekness and a calm cheerfulness, to expect death, as being nothing else but the resolution of those elements, of which every creature is composed. And if the elements themselves suffer nothing by their perpetual conversion of one into another, that dissolution, and alteration, which is so common unto all, why should it be feared by any? Is not this according to nature? But nothing that is according to nature can be evil. . Marcus Aurelius
Striid and Wthdraw into yourself. Our master-reason asks no more...
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Striid and Wthdraw into yourself. Our master-reason asks no more than to act justly, and thereby to achieve calm. Marcus Aurelius
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You have the power to strip away many superfluous troubles located wholly in your judgement, and to possess a large room for yourself embracing in thought the whole cosmos, to consider everlasting time, to think of the rapid change in the parts of each thing, of how short it is from birth until dissolution, and how the void before birth and that after dissolution are equally infinite. Marcus Aurelius
Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything...
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. Marcus Aurelius
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If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed. Marcus Aurelius
For outward show is a wonderful perverter of the reason.
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For outward show is a wonderful perverter of the reason. Marcus Aurelius
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If the gods have determined about me and about the things which must happen to me, they have determined well, for it is not easy even to imagine a deity without forethought; and as to doing me harm, why should they have any desire towards that? For what advantage would result to them from this or to the whole, which is the special object of their providence? But if they have not determined about me individually, they have certainly determined about the whole at least, and the things which happen by way of sequence in this general arrangement I ought to accept with pleasure and to be content with them. Marcus Aurelius
The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.
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The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts. Marcus Aurelius
As for thy thirst after books, away with it with...
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As for thy thirst after books, away with it with all speed. Marcus Aurelius
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of...
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The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. Marcus Aurelius
No man is happy who does not think himself so.
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No man is happy who does not think himself so. Marcus Aurelius
Perfection of character is this: to live each day as...
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Perfection of character is this: to live each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, without apathy, without pretence. Marcus Aurelius
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That which has died falls not out of the universe. If it stays here, it also changes here, and is dissolved into its proper parts, which are elements of the universe and of thyself. And these too change, and they murmur not". Marcus Aurelius
We must make haste then, not only because we are...
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We must make haste then, not only because we are daily nearer to death, but also because the conception of things and the understanding of them cease first. Marcus Aurelius
You have power over your mind - not outside events....
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You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Marcus Aurelius
The memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed in time.
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The memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed in time. Marcus Aurelius
Give up your thirst for books, so that you do...
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Give up your thirst for books, so that you do not die a grouch. Marcus Aurelius
Observe always that everything is the result of change, and...
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Observe always that everything is the result of change, and get used to thinking that there is nothing Nature loves so well as to change existing forms and make new ones like them. Marcus Aurelius
That which is really beautiful has no need of anything;...
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That which is really beautiful has no need of anything; not more than law, not more than truth, not more than benevolence or modesty. Marcus Aurelius
You are a little soul carrying about a corpse, as...
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You are a little soul carrying about a corpse, as Epictetus used to say. Marcus Aurelius
Your mind will take on the character of your most...
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Your mind will take on the character of your most frequent thoughts: souls are dyed by thoughts. Marcus Aurelius
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Things of themselves cannot touch the soul at all. They have no entry to the soul, and cannot turn or move it. The soul alone turns and moves itself, making all externals presented to it cohere with the judgements it thinks worthy of itself. Marcus Aurelius
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Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back. Marcus Aurelius
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In the morning when thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present - I am rising to the work of a human being. Why then am I dissatisfied if I am going to do the things for which I exist and for which I was brought into the world? Marcus Aurelius
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Every living organism is fulfilled when it follows the right path for its own nature. Marcus Aurelius
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Is your cucumber bitter? Throw it away. Are there briars in your path? Turn aside. That is enough. Do not go on to say, 'Why were things of this sort ever brought into the world?' The student of nature will only laugh at you; just as a carpenter or a shoemaker would laugh, if you found fault with the shavings and scraps from their work which you saw in the shop. Yet they, at least, have somewhere to throw their litter; whereas Nature has no such out-place. That is the miracle of her workmanship: that in spite of this self-limitation, she nevertheless transmutes into herself everything that seems worn-out or old or useless, and re-fashions it into new creations, so as never to need either fresh supplies from without, or a place to discard her refuse. Her own space, her own materials and her own skill are sufficient for her. . Marcus Aurelius
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If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. Marcus Aurelius
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It is not fit that I should give myself pain, for I have never intentionally given pain even to another. Marcus Aurelius
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The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Marcus Aurelius
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Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life. Marcus Aurelius
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Regain your senses, call yourself back, and once again wake up. Now that you realize that only dreams were troubling you, view this 'reality' as you view your dreams. Marcus Aurelius
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How good it is when you have roast meat or suchlike foods before you, to impress on your mind that this is the dead body of a fish, this is the dead body of a bird or pig; and again, that the Falernian wine is the mere juice of grapes, and your purple edged robe simply the hair of a sheep soaked in shell-fish blood! And in sexual intercourse that it is no more than the friction of a membrane and a spurt of mucus ejected. How good these perceptions are at getting to the heart of the real thing and penetrating through it, so you can see it for what it is! This should be your practice throughout all your life: when things have such a plausible appearance, show them naked, see their shoddiness, strip away their own boastful account of themselves. Vanity is the greatest seducer of reason: when you are most convinced that your work is important, that is when you are most under its spell. Marcus Aurelius
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When you arise in the moring, think of what a precious privelege it is to be alive-- to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love Marcus Aurelius
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The world is mere change, and this life, opinion. Marcus Aurelius
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The goal that you hope you will one day arrive at after a long and roundabout journey you are able to possess right now, if only you do not deny it to yourself. That is, if you can let go of the past, entrust the future to Providence and redirect the present according to justice and the sacred. To the sacred, so that you welcome what has been given to you, for Nature has brought this to you, and you to it; and to justice, in order that you may speak the truth freely and without distortion, and that you may act in accordance with what is lawful and right. Do not allow yourself to be hindered by the harmful actions, judgments, or the words of another, or by the sensations of the flesh which has formed itself around you. Let the body take care of those. But if, when you have come to the end, having let go of all other things, you honor only your guiding part and the divinity that is within you, and you do not fear ceasing to live so much as you fear never having begun to live in accordance with Nature--then you will be a man who is worth of the Cosmos that created you; and you will cease to live like a stranger in your own land, that is, surprised at unexpected everyday occurrences and wholly distracted by this and that. Marcus Aurelius
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When you run up against someone else’s shamelessness, ask yourself this: Is a world without shamelessness possible? No. Then don’t ask the impossible. There have to be shameless people in the world. This is one of them. The same for someone vicious or untrustworthy, or with any other defect. Remembering that the whole world class has to exist will make you more tolerant of its members. Marcus Aurelius
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If all emotions are common coin, then what is unique to the good man? To welcome with affection what is sent by fate. Not to stain or disturb the spirit within him with a mess of false beliefs. Instead, to preserve it faithfully, by calmly obeying God — saying nothing untrue, doing nothing unjust. And if the others don’t acknowledge it — this life lived in simplicity, humility, cheerfulness — he doesn’t resent them for it, and isn’t deterred from following the road where it leads: to the end of life. An end to be approached in purity, in serenity, in acceptance, in peaceful unity with what must be. Marcus Aurelius
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No more roundabout discussions of what makes a good man. Be one! Marcus Aurelius
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Everything that happens, happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so. Marcus Aurelius
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The blazing fire makes flames and brightness out of everything thrown into it. Marcus Aurelius
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If something is difficult for you to accomplish, do not then think it impossible for any human being; rather, if it is humanly possible and corresponds to human nature, know that it is attainable by you as well. Marcus Aurelius
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Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil. Marcus Aurelius
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God give me patience, to reconcile with what I am not able to change Give me strength to change what I can And give me wisdom to distinguish one from another. Marcus Aurelius
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He is so rich, he has no room to shit. Marcus Aurelius
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Even the least of our activities ought to have some end in view. Marcus Aurelius
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For it is in your power to retire into yourself whenever you choose. Marcus Aurelius
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III. I have often wondered how it should come to pass, that every man loving himself best, should more regard other men's opinions concerning himself than his own. For if any God or grave master standing by, should command any of us to think nothing by himself but what he should presently speak out; no man were able to endure it, though but for one day. Thus do we fear more what our neighbours will think of us, than what we ourselves. . Marcus Aurelius
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All things fade into the storied past, and in a little while are shrouded in oblivion. Marcus Aurelius
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I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others. Marcus Aurelius
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What need of prompt or hint when it is open to yourself to discern what needs to be done - and, if you can see your way, to follow it with kind but undeviating intent. If you cannot see the way, hold back and consult your best advisors. if some other factors obstruct this advice, proceed on your present resources, but with cautious deliberations, keeping always to what seems just. Justice is the best aim, as any failure is in fact a failure of justice. A man following reason in all things combines relaxation with initiative, spark with composure. Marcus Aurelius
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It is a ridiculous thing for a man not to fly from his own badness, which is indeed possible, but to fly from other men's badness, which is impossible. Marcus Aurelius
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You should always be ready to apply these two rules of action, the first, to do nothing other than what the kingly and law-making art ordains for the benefits of humankind, and, the second, to be prepared to change your mind if someone is at hand to put you right and guide you away from some groundless opinion. Marcus Aurelius
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Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize? Marcus Aurelius
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Every man is worth just so much as the things about which he busies himself. Marcus Aurelius
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How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it. Marcus Aurelius
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It is not the actions of others which trouble us (for those actions are controlled by their governing part), but rather it is our own judgments. Therefore remove those judgments and resolve to let go of your anger, and it will already be gone. How do you let go? By realizing that such actions are not shameful to you. Marcus Aurelius
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A man must stand erect, not be kept erect by others. Marcus Aurelius
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That all is as thinking makes it so — and you control your thinking. So remove your judgements whenever you wish and then there is calm - as the sailor rounding the cape finds smooth water and the welcome of a waveless bay. Marcus Aurelius
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Our thoughts is what our life make it Marcus Aurelius
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Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one. Marcus Aurelius
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Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good. Marcus Aurelius
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A man should always have these two rules in readiness. First, to do only what the reason of your ruling and legislating faculties suggest for the service of man. Second, to change your opinion whenever anyone at hand sets you right and unsettles you in an opinion, but this change of opinion should come only because you are persuaded that something is just or to the public advantage, not because it appears pleasant or increases your reputation. Marcus Aurelius
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Nothing is more scandalous than a man that is proud of his humility. Marcus Aurelius
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Will any man despise me? Let him see to it. But I will see to it that I may not be found doing or saying anything that deserves to be despised. Marcus Aurelius
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Never esteem anything as of advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect. Marcus Aurelius
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How good it is, when you have roast meat or suchlike foods before you, to impress on your mind that this is the dead body of a fish, this the dead body of a bird or pig. Marcus Aurelius
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The universe is flux, life is opinion. Marcus Aurelius
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Never let the future disturb you - you will meet it with the same weapons of reason and mind that, today, guard you against the present... Marcus Aurelius
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Do not disturb yourself by picturing your life as a whole; do not assemble in your mind the many and varied troubles which have come to you in the past and will come again in the future, but ask yourself with regard to every present difficulty: 'What is there in this that is unbearable and beyond endurance?' You would be ashamed to confess it! And then remind yourself that it is not the future or what has passed that afflicts you, but always the present, and the power of this is much diminished if you take it in isolation and call your mind to task if it thinks that it cannot stand up to it when taken on its own. Marcus Aurelius
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Live every day as if they last. Marcus Aurelius
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If any man despises me, that is his problem. My only concern is not doing or saying anything deserving of contempt. Marcus Aurelius
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Maximus was my model for self-control, fixity of purpose, and cheerfulness under ill-health or other misfortunes. His character was an admirable combination of dignity and charm, and all the duties of his station were performed quietly and without fuss. He gave everyone the conviction that he spoke as he believed, and acted as he judged right. Bewilderment or timidity were unknown to him; he was never hasty, never dilatory; nothing found him at a loss. He indulged neither in despondency nor forced gaiety, nor had anger or jealousy any power over him. Kindliness, sympathy, and sincerity all contributed to give the impression of a rectitude that was innate rather than inculcated. Nobody was ever made by him to feel inferior, yet none could have presumed to challenge his pre-eminence. He was also the possessor of an agreeable sense of humour. Marcus Aurelius
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A person's worth is measured by the worth of what he values. Marcus Aurelius
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When you are disturbed by events and lose your serenity, quickly return to yourself and don't stay upset longer than the experience lasts; for you'll have more mastery over your inner harmony by continually returning to it. Marcus Aurelius