My Summary of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius | (22 Stoic Principles)

the concise meditations of marcus aurelius this is a summary of Marcus Aurelius meditations if you want to understand meditations but don't want to read it or just want a refresher then this is for you meditations is essentially a scrapbook of thoughts written over a 19 year period it's not ordered and it repeats itself frequently as ideas reoccurred to the author at different times you shouldn't read meditations like a science textbook explaining how the world works instead read it as a series of mental techniques and crutches to use to live a more tranquil and fulfilling life

it was the notebook of a man with the weight of the Roman world on his shoulders a man struggling to be good and leaving himself notes and reminders on how to be so I have interpreted and reordered what he says but I've done my best not to embellish it since I've summarized fifty thousand words down to four thousand I expect some of the subtlety and most of the poetry has been lost if you ever wish to listen to the original there's a link to my full narration of the book in the description box below one

when you encounter unkindness when receiving bad treatment or criticism from someone either the other person is right in which case you've no right to complain or they're wrong in which case they're misguided and have just made a mistake remind yourself how many mistakes you've made in life and feel pity for them by all means point out to them where they've gone wrong but do so affectionately not meanly with hatred in your heart or to impress on lookers speak directly to them if this doesn't work ask yourself what qualities nature has given us to counter the

defect for example as an antidote to unkindness it gave us kindness but that to use and see what happens very few people can continually act unkindly to you if you show continued kindness to them no matter what anyone says or does my task is to be good if you've mistakenly trusted an untrustworthy person then turn the reproach on yourself the fault is yours recognize that untrustworthy bad and even evil people exist in the world to expect not to encounter them is foolish say to yourself I have encountered one of them this is to be expected

from time to time then remember that any evil that men do you only harms your soul if you do evil in return it is your job to be good and not allow their evil to change that the noblest kind of retribution is not to become like your enemy with that in mind recognize that everything depends on how you interpret it everything is interpretation is a quote Marcus Aurelius cites from a cynic philosopher he notes that obviously this is not literally true but that it is the useful mental crutch if you take it for what is

worth you can apply it to everyday life with amazing results with that in mind remind yourself that how things affect you is determined by your minds interpretation of them not the external things themselves whatever happens you can choose how to interpret it so choose not to feel harmed and you haven't been if it rains you can choose to feel angry at the weather and pained by the sensation of the water on your clothes and body or you can choose to feel grateful at being alive and being able to feel such sensations how easy it is

to repel and wipe away every impression which is troublesome or unsuitable and immediately be in all tranquillity so work on gaining control of your minds to frame things positively ultimately you are what you continually think so take care which thoughts you allow to exist in your own head your mind will take the shape of what you frequently hold in thought for the human spirit is colored by such impressions on that point your mind should sit superior to your body and its sensations you have a body and a mind your mind your rational faculty is the

advantage you have over other animals to follow nature means to recognize this and to make use of what nature has given you deep down you already know the things you should be doing and yet are not doing them that's because you do not have control over your mind whenever you determine to do something and don't do it it's because your body has given you some reason not to do not allow pain drowsiness fever loss of appetites to alter your behavior when you're bothered by things like that remind yourself I'm giving in to pain when you

give in to these sensations you make your minds the slave of the body which leads to unhappiness endless suffering all from not allowing the mind to do its job gain control of your mind it's only by gaining control that you can begin to act virtuously and it's only by acting virtuously but true happiness eudaimonia will be reached once you start to follow reason the difference will be night and day within 10 days you will appear a god even to those to whom today you seem a beast or a baboon if you return to your principles

and the worship of reason with that in mind stay mindful and take deliberate actions frequently we go through life on autopilot most of the things we do we don't even think about enough of this no random actions none not based on underlying principles do not wander without a purpose act deliberately observe your own mind critically as if observing someone else's in every case ask yourself - what you are currently employing your mind what sort of soul are you displaying by you acting like a child a tyrant and animal what's causing you to act that way

if you can control your actions and think and act systematically you will have an untroubled life if you do not observe the movements of your own mind then you will be unhappy further you can find peace from external events at any time by going within your own mind but do so briefly don't retreat from the world humanity is born for cooperation and we are constituted for one another do not allow yourself to become angry with those around you fall into hatred or give up trying to make a positive difference in society if you conceive of

all rational beings as constituted for one cooperation then helping other people becomes a joy and not just the right thing to do learn to feel affection for other people even when they make mistakes you can do so by recognizing they're human too and we all make mistakes and that before long they will die just like you and that we're all in this together what's more regardless of what they've done they haven't really hurt you another mental crutch he offers is to contemplate the positive qualities of those around you we all have different abilities and talents

and keeping theirs in mind will make you think better off them when you need encouragement think of the qualities the people around you have the energy of one the modesty of another the generosity of a third keep the thought of them ready to hand six you opinion of yourself matters more than the opinion of a stranger it never ceases to amaze me we all love ourselves more than other people but care more about their opinion than our own this is not an exhortation to arrogance it's reminding you to do what you know is best regardless

of people's reactions you know what you're about and you know the reason why you're doing what you're doing you don't need to explain yourself to everyone even worse is when we fawn over and seek the praise of people we don't even respect think about that seeking the praise of those who are worthy of contempt as a crutch to avoid being too concerned with praise Marcus Aurelius suggests contemplating what difference it really makes and considering the insignificance of it in the grand scheme of things Fame in a world like this is worthless his conclusion from all

this is that we should be honest and straightforward we shouldn't prance about keep airs or try to portray ourselves as something we're not we should abstain from rhetoric and trying to pander or curry favor however with that said be open to correction being corrected is better than remaining in self-deceit you shouldn't view changing your mind as losing all that you're being coerced it is still a free and noble action on your part to change your mind if the evidence turns against you just don't change it because of peer pressure or to ingratiate yourself with others

remember that to change your mind and to accept correction arf reacts to the action is yours based on your own will your own decision and your own mind with that in mind cherish the freedom and liberty of everyone learn to endure the freedom of speech of others you cannot control them so learn to control your reaction instead learn to hear unwelcome truths listen attentively to people and seek to place yourself in their shoes habituate yourself not to be inattentive to what another has to say and so far as possible to be in the mind of

the speaker uphold the rights of everyone as equal under the law it was from my brother that I conceived of a society of equal laws governed by equality of status and of speech and of rulers who respect the liberty of their subjects above all else recognize that power corrupts recognize the malice cunning and hypocrisy that power produces and the peculiar ruthlessness often shown by people from good families if you ever find yourself in a position of power remember this and check yourself resist becoming despotic take care not to be transformed into a Caesar not to

be dyed with this dye for such things happen fight to be the person philosophy trying to make you with that in mind have some self-respect with every act ask if you are respecting yourself with it and if you will regret it inside watch for and erase any impulse to express things you don't truly believe do not view anything as beneficial which causes you to break a promise lose your self-respect or hate anyone when roused to anger remember that there's nothing manly about giving in to emotion it's courtesy and kindness that define a human being and

a man he who possesses these qualities possesses strength nerves and courage not the man who is subject to fits of passion and discontent make yourself neither of a tyrant nor slave of any man and whatever happens avoid complaining do your job without whining if you can do the job in front of you then do it and don't complain and if you can't then seek someone to help you and don't feel ashamed but still don't complain not even inwardly to yourself frequently in life the obstacle is the way if something bad happens just say good what

new opportunities does this open up in the same vein as recognizing how your interpretation of an events can affect whether it hurts you you can go one step further and ask how your interpretation of it can even benefit you the mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting the impediment to action advance his action what stands in the way becomes the way of course this is still very much a mental crutch because had you wanted your car to break down say you would have broken it yourself but now that it

has asked yourself what good you can make come from it the obstacle becomes the way is a recognition that every event creates new possibilities and saying to yourself good when something bad happens and looking for the new opportunity is a far healthier way of living than complaining about it there's a great clip from Jocko willing linked in the video description below that nicely summarizes this Marcus Aurelius used such mental crutches a lot the meditations can be viewed as a series of practical psychological tricks to make life smoother such mental habits allow you to smile and

remain happy even when things that would otherwise upset you have occurred with that in mind recognize that adversity is part of nature the universe is indifferent to your existence it will throw things at you that will rock your world accept this for what it is difficulties setbacks and even tragedies are part of life they are even part of it means to be alive everyone will experience them Marcus Aurelius reiterates that since these events are in God or fates hands you should not hope and pray for them not to occur but rather hope and pray that

you have the strength of character to enjoy them when they do why not rather pray for the gift to fear none of these things to desire none of them to sorrow for none of them rather than that any one of them should be present or absent this puts your focus on something in your control namely forging the strength of character to endure all onslaughts rather than that which is in fates control the unfortunate events and when they do occur be like the headland against which the waves continually break it stands firm and tames the fury

of the water around it but he takes it a step further again and points out that it's through adversity that we get stronger it's unfortunate that this has happened no it's fortunate that this has happened and I've remained unharmed by it there's an ironic beauty in life that it's these very hardships that give us the opportunity to test ourselves and grow stronger in every event which leads you to sorrow remember to use this principle that this is not a misfortune but there to bear it like a brave man is good fortune in any case he

points out that for the most part everything has happened before the universe is in constant flux but there's nothing new Under the Sun whatever challenges you're facing others have met them before obviously society and technology has moved on but the human condition remains the same your partner cheats on you your friend betrays you you get passed over for promotion all these things have been experienced by all of humanity for all of time instead of wailing against them feeling outraged and shocked and repeating the behaviors of those before you let petty events wash off you and

turn your attention to what really matters keep a sense of proportion and it will help you deal with such things in all that happens keep before your eyes those who experienced it before you and felt shock and outrage and resentment at it and now where are they nowhere is that what you want to be like instead of avoiding all these distracting assaults leaving the alarms and flight to others and concentrating on what you can do with it all because you can use it treat it as raw material just pay attention and resolve to live up

to your own expectations in everything and when faced with a choice remember our business is with things that really matter our business is with things that really matter with that in mind stay practical and deal with what's in front of you stop being aimless and stop allowing yourself to be distracted maintain an unwavering commitment and focus once a decision has been made if you seek tranquility do fewer things better do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life and stop being aimless stop letting your emotions override what your mind

tells you rid yourself of unnecessary thoughts and stop letting your emotions project into the future fabricating worries for yourself master them and focus them on the present on doing the thing that is in front of you as if it were your last wipe away the impress of imagination stop being jerked like a puppet limit yourself to the present through hard practice you can learn even the things which you despair at learning now for any task at hand ask yourself why can't I endure it you'll be embarrassed to answer don't focus on any physical characteristic which

you cannot change and do not allow yourself to want or pursue what is impossible focus instead on the virtues that are in your power to bring forth honesty dignity endurance austerity resignation abstinence patience sincerity moderation seriousness magnanimity with that in mind focus on doing what is right and be prepared to face resistance if it is not right do not do it if it is not true do not say it say nothing untrue do nothing unjust and do not be concerned with whether people recognize you for doing so if you choose to do a kind act

don't do it in expectation of a future reward the acts themselves are their own rewards and what lead to a good life true delight and stillness is to move from one unselfish action to the next since your job is to act with virtue act well regardless of how people respond to it and do not allow the bad actions of another to throw you off course do not expect a perfect outcome be happy with the smallest progress and in attempting the good act itself in a sense if your aim is to always attempt to act well

then even if something immutable falls in your way you have still succeeded in that aim by attempting ambition means tying your well-being to what other people say or do sanity means tying it to your own actions if you're in a position of authority you may even be hated for your good actions the important thing is that you are not dissuaded from the right course in search of applause a king's part to do good and to be reviled teach yourself to desire only to act virtuously and do not let others hold you back with that in

mind do your duty and despise cowardice stand up straight in life don't be propped up by others and do your duty without fear it like this gentlemen of the jury the spot where a person decides to station himself or wherever his commanding officer stations him well I think that's where he ought to take his stand and face the enemy and not worry about being killed or about anything but doing his duty focus more on whether what you're doing is right or wrong than on the risk it brings you you are much mistaken my friend if

you think that any man worth his salt cares about the risk of death and doesn't concentrate on this alone whether what he's doing is right or wrong and his behavior a good man's or a bad ones understands that life is short and death comes to us all that means the time for action is now decide once and for all to pursue justice honesty courage self-control and rational action above all else remind yourself how often you have put things off and procrastinated how many chances you've been given and yet wasted remember your time here is limited

you have one chance and is running out stop seeking approval from others stop putting things off decide today to start taking action not to live as if you had endless years ahead of you death overshadows you while you're alive and able be good once you make such a choice you will cease your internal suffering you suffer justly because you choose to be good tomorrow rather than today a mental crutch Aurelius suggested was thinking of the life behind you as already dead and that from today you're living a new shorter life take this new life and

live it properly think of yourself as dead you have lived your life now take what's left and live it properly also it is disgraceful for your soul to give up while your body is still going strong as you age the chances that you're going to be the next protege decrease when young you may have imagined yourself as a future savant that you were going to turn pro when the Olympics or change the world with your discoveries don't let the fact that all that never really panned out dishearten you you can still focus on building your

character and on doing good in the world just because you've abandoned your hopes of becoming a great thinker or scientist don't give up on attaining freedom achieving humility serving others obeying God and just as you accept the limits placed on your height accept the limits placed on your life death will eventually come for everyone and fearing the future does nothing but stop us acting bravely today with all that in mind practice getting back on track life is an obstacle course and no matter how wise you are there will be things that will throw you off

balance when this happens make a point of centering yourself at once before proceeding the more you practice this the better you will get when jarred unavoidably by circumstances revert at once to yourself and don't lose the rhythm more than you can help you'll have a better grasp of the Harmony if you keep going back to it in other words whatever negative compulsions you've overcome there will come a time when you fall off the wagon and revert to your old ways recognize when this happens and practice pulling yourself back don't listen to the voice that tells

you to give up because today is a write-off not to feel exasperated or defeated or despondent because your days aren't packed with wise and moral actions but to get back up when you fail to celebrate behaving like a human however imperfectly and to fully embrace the pursuits that you've embarked on avoid getting distracted with pride and showing off not only does it detract from what you're doing but the applause you receive is worthless anyway pride and outward show is an arch seducer of reason when you think you're occupied in the weightiest business that's when it

has you in its spell as such in all cases look beneath to see things for what they truly are a method of lessening the hold things have over you is to look at them for what they really are expensive wine is just fancy grape juice purple robes that is the robes worn by the Emperor are just wool dyed with shellfish blood this applies not only to material things but to actions and behaviors examine men's ruling principles even those of the wise what kind of things do they avoid or pursue imagine someone's soul stripped bare what

evokes their love and admiration their vanity etc now try to imagine whether their disdain can really harm anyone all their praise help anyone do you wish to be praised by a man who curses himself three times every hour do you wish to please a man who doesn't please himself when facing their insults hatred or whatever look at what sort of person they are you will see that you don't need to strain to impress them but you should still treat them well as they are still human in all cases speak the truth as you see it

but with kindness and humility with all that in mind recognize material wealth is neither a good nor an evil wealth in and of itself is not a good or bad thing it's how you use it the term Goods is a misnomer when used to refer to possessions it's possible that possessing too many things can make life worse so they are not in every case goods your only true goods are your virtues respect your own mind and prize that be satisfied in yourself if you can't stop rising other things then you'll never be free you'll always

be envious jealous or afraid that someone might come and take things away from you that said while those who crave wealth are misguided so are those who despise it or feel guilt and possessing it as it has just a stronger hold over them better mr. learn to not let it have any hold over you learn to make use of it when you have it but be absolutely prepared to let it go use it unapologetically but also without any arrogance treat what you don't have as a non-existent look at what you have the things you value

most and think of how much you'd crave them if you didn't have them but be careful don't feel such satisfaction that you start to overvalue them that it would upset you to lose them with that in mind express gratitude marcus aurelius spends the entire first chapter of meditations listing the things he's grateful for learning whilst young some of the things which stand out to me in which I haven't already mentioned elsewhere are that I needed to work on my own character the government of my temper developing a strong character generosity charity and a sense of

humor the value of investing in education enduring labor working with my own hands and learning to want little not to meddle in the affairs of others and not to have time for slanderers not to busy myself with trifling things or waste time on frivolous matters to write simply and directly to endure freedom of speech and make peace with people I've fallen out with when they're ready steadiness of purpose self-control in not being distracted and not letting emotion cloud judgment how to receive gifts graciously without losing self-respect or appearing ungrateful and how to offer praise without

making a display indifference to superficial honors not to use the excuse I'm too busy to get out of doing things to listen to friends troubles show teachers respect and children unfeigned love to treat people as they deserve and possess a readiness to listen to those who have anything to propose for the common good to refrain from nitpicking in constantly correcting people to defer to experts when necessary to display dignity without pretension and finally to stop talking about what the good man is like and just be one you