Meditations
"Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius is a collection of personal writings by the Roman Emperor, reflecting on Stoic philosophy and the practice of self-discipline, virtue, and rationality. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on what is within our control, accepting the impermanence of life, and maintaining inner peace amid external chaos. The work serves as a guide to personal ethics and resilience in the face of adversity.
28 curated highlights from this book
Key Insights & Memorable Quotes
Below are the most impactful passages and quotes from Meditations, carefully selected to capture the essence of the book.
You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.
Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.
The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.
It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.
You are a little soul carrying around a corpse.
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.
How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life.
The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.
You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
Our life is what our thoughts make it.
Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if you will ever dig.
Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together.
Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.
The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.
He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.
Very little is needed for a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.
Do not be wise in words, be wise in deeds.
If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.
Do not be ashamed to be helped; for it is your own good.
Life is neither good nor evil, but only a place for good and evil.
The best way to avenge yourself is to not be like that.
Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.
The obstacle is the way.
How much time he saves who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks.
Let not your mind run on what you lack as much as on what you have already.