Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aureliuswas Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169. Marcus Aurelius was the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors. He was a practitioner of Stoicism, and his untitled writing, commonly known as the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, is the most significant source of our modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth26 April 121
CityRome, Italy
beauty beautiful way
Anything in any way beautiful derives its beauty from itself and asks nothing beyond itself. Praise is no part of it, for nothing is made worse or better by praise.
good-life men fearless
If you do the task before you always adhering to strict reason with zeal and energy and yet with humanity, disregarding all lesser ends and keeping the divinity within you pure and upright, as though you were even now faced with its recall - if you hold steadily to this, staying for nothing and shrinking from nothing, only seeking in each passing action a conformity with nature and in each word and utterance a fearless truthfulness, then the good life shall be yours. And from this course no man has the power to hold you back.
mean loss opportunity
Do not waste what remains of your life in speculating about your neighbors, unless with a view to some mutual benefit. To wonder what so-and-so is doing and why, or what he is saying, or thinking, or scheming -- in a word, anything that distracts you from fidelity to the ruler within you -- means a loss of opportunity for some other task.
water wave break
Be like the rocky headland on which the waves constantly break. It stands firm, and round it the seething waters are laid to rest.
soul sun use
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.
views bonus rest-of-your-life
Imagine you were now dead, or had not lived before his moment. Now view the rest of your life as a bonus....
love valentines-day heartbreak
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.
inspirational education learning
Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability.
friendship nature philosophical
That which is not good for the bee-hive cannot be good for the bees.
justice truth-and-justice values
Live out your life in truth and justice, tolerant of those who are neither true nor just.
men mind bears
Bear in mind that the measure of a man is the worth of the things he cares about.
strange ridiculous surprise
How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life
inspirational revenge hatred
The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.
focus essentials moments
Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you'll have more time, and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, 'Is this necessary?'