

“Choose not to be harmed, and you won’t feel harmed. “The mind freed from passions is an impenetrable fortress-a person has no more secure place of refuge for all time.”Ģ2. Some collapse sooner, others later, but it makes no difference.”Ģ1. “We are like many pellets of incense falling on the same altar. For when you see that, you’ll feel compassion, instead of astonishment or rage.”Ģ0.

“Whenever someone has done wrong by you, immediately consider what notion of good or evil they had in doing it. Then ask yourself, how did that work out? Smoke and dust, the stuff of simple myth trying to be legend…”ġ9. “Keep a list before your mind of those who burned with anger and resentment about something, of even the most renowned for success, misfortune, evil deeds, or any special distinction. “You shouldn’t give circumstances the power to rouse anger, for they don’t care at all.”ġ8. “Wherever a person can live, there one can also live well.”ġ7. The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.”ġ6. Rather, gentleness and civility are more human, and therefore manlier. “The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, because an artful life requires being prepared to meet and withstand sudden and unexpected attacks.”ġ5. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting?”ġ4. “Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what’s left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Regarding it this way, you’ll obey reason without putting it on display and rest easy in its care.”ġ3. “Don’t return to philosophy as a task-master, but as patients seek out relief in a treatment of sore eyes, or a dressing for a burn, or from an ointment. What thoughts now occupy my mind? Is it not fear, suspicion, desire, or something like that?”ġ2. “Understand at last that you have something in you more powerful and divine than what causes the bodily passions and pulls you like a mere puppet.

Here are 34 of my favorite highlights from “ the philosopher king,” all translations based on the one Holiday uses in The Daily Stoic, except #22:ġ1. While I haven’t finished it in its entirety, I have also read The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday multiple times, and in that book, Ryan constantly quotes from Meditations. With a myriad of translations available from the original Greek, there is no shortage of clever lines from the man who, by all accounts, carried the burden of leadership well. Nearly all quotes we can attribute to Marcus with certainty go back to this text. In Marcus’ case, we thankfully have the Meditations, his premier and only work, a journal of sorts, which consists of 12 volumes and survives to this day. The hardest part of compiling quotes from someone who lived almost 2,000 years ago is making sure that what you find is what that person actually wrote or said. “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.” “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”ġ0. “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”ĩ. “When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love…”Ĩ. “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.”ħ. “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. The first half appears in Meditations when Marcus quotes Monimus, a Cynic philosopher. Note: The second half of this quote is probably not from Marcus. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”Ĥ. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.”ģ. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. Realize this, and you will find strength. “You have power over your mind - not outside events. Here are Marcus Aurelius’ 10 greatest hits:ġ. The last quote in the list still received over 1,600 likes.

Below are the top 10 quotes from everyone’s favorite emperor, ranked based on votes from real readers on Goodreads. Wondering which Marcus Aurelius quotes are the most popular? I did the research for you. The 10 Most Popular Quotes From Marcus Aurelius The Best Marcus Aurelius Quotes for Sharing on Social Media.The 10 Most Popular Quotes From Marcus Aurelius.
