Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library Classics)

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I found many of his ideas more common sense than something divine. But his analogies and clarity set him apart. A difficult aspect of the book is that it's made up of scraps of Aurelius's personal accounts - hence the translations also reflect an incompleteness. But that doesn't take away the value of the book. These writings after all, were never meant to be published. So Marcus bounces around from topic to topic at random. Many of the writings are repetitive in theme and context. He read slowly, moving his lips over the words. “Everything is only for a day, both that which remembers and that which is remembered.

Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library) Kindle Edition Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library) Kindle Edition

Be true to yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not. Be true to yourself and live your life the way you want to live it. Do your best. Don't compare yourself to others. Just do your best and be proud of what you have accomplished.It doesn’t bother you that you weight only x or y pounds and not three hundred. Why should it bother you that you have only x or y years to live and not more? You accept the limits placed on your body. Accept those placed on your time. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Lee wiped his steel-rimmed spectacles on a dish towel. He opened the book and leafed through. And he smiled to himself, consciously searching for reassurance. This document was uploaded by our user. The uploader already confirmed that they had the permission to publish Few ancient works have been as influential as the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, philosopher and emperor of Rome (A.D. 161–180). A series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior, it remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. Marcus’s insights and advice—on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity and interacting with others—have made the Meditations required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style. For anyone who struggles to reconcile the demands of leadership with a concern for personal integrity and spiritual well-being, the Meditations remains as relevant now as it was two thousand years ago.

Meditations, A New Translation by Marcus Aurelius Meditations, A New Translation by Marcus Aurelius

Live a simple life. Don't be materialistic. Focus on the things that are truly important in life, such as your relationships, your health, and your happiness. I am a huge fan of A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine. It not only made me realize that I have already been living the Stoic philosophy in many ways, but encouraged me to dig further into Stoic readings and go straight to the source.There is a strange dichotomy to Meditations. There is great wisdom to be had while also containing rambling nonsense. The thing you have to understand is that this book is a series of entries some guy made of his, sometimes completely random, thoughts. Conceitedly, that's basically what philosophy is. Forced perspective in written form. And, as with the rest of the human race, not every thought is a winner. Practice really hearing what people say. Do your best to get inside their minds Meditations by Marcus Aurelius I think my single most important takeaway from this book would be the Latin phrase 'Ad Infinitum', which means again and again. It's important to read this with a contextual understanding of consistency and never giving up attitude. Perhaps TMI but this has been my bathroom read for the last few months, and I highly recommend to buy a copy and do the same. If you're looking to study Stoicism as a whole, I would like to recommend not starting with this. Most of Aurelius' words are built upon centuries of other stoic philosophers, and there are themes related to Stoicism that need a precursor. The idea of Logos being chief among them. I will say it's the pinnacle of Stoic thought, but that is what makes it a terrible starting point.

Gregory Hays Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Review Gregory Hays Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Review

Can’t you see? It’s just the same with you-and just as vital to nature. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius I feel guilty about giving such an iconic work 3/5 stars but let's be honest...there is a lot in here that is only valuable if you are studying Roman emperors or a historian looking for tidbits on Roman society and beliefs. Furthermore, a lot only made sense to Marcus Aurelius since this work is more of a journal where he seems to have sometimes written down random thoughts and "ah-ha"s. Be kind to others. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Be kind and compassionate, even to those who are different from you. No matter what happens, keep this in mind: It's the same old thing, from one end of the world to the other. It fills the history books, ancient and modern, and the cities, and the houses too. Nothing new at all."He reminds himself that he's often choosing his own hell. And he can choose to climb out of it. That like C.S. Lewis says, people want to be in hell. They choose it and blame God, just as the addict blames others for his addiction, and cannot escape. Aurelius says: You know what to do: now go do it. And from The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford: If I had a goodly apple on my table for 9 years that was rotten to the core - but for 9 years, I had and believed it to be good - is it wrong of me to believe that for 9 years I had a goodly apple? (Actual quote.) He also confronts death, change, nature, human interactions. As put by Hays, Meditations recurring themes are: I am not a stoic, and as I read through Aurelius' I found myself agreeing with Goethe, "What's true of Christianity is true of the Stoics: free men are not fitted to be either Christian or Stoic." This doesn't mean that I agree with nor do I believe everything Aurelius says. Of course, this is the beauty of philosophy—it simply begs you to think.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius A New Translation by Gregory

The main positive for me is that this was actually written by a Roman emperor, which puts the reader in his mind and thoughts. At the same time, the work felt a little dimished by the fact it was written by an emperor, in the sense that it is easy for a person of the most privilege to talk about doing away with desires, or taking things as they come, seeing death as something to not fear, etc. This type of view feels much more genuine from philosophers or personnages who, by their circumstances, endure hardships by living their beliefs or philosophy. Meditations touches on much of the human condition. And I can respect that Marcus is sometimes trying to talk himself off a ledge. To remind himself to be the leader that he wants to be. However, it wasn’t necessarily the impoverished view of humanity that bothered me, so much as the structure and length of the writings. It is written in almost bullet-point journalistic format.

The key themes that reoccur across the books are: the importance of a rational mind, accepting one's fate/ living according to nature, accepting your mortality, and having compassion/ understanding for others (even for those who wrong you). And if you are interested in Stoicism, then you should also take a look at some other books that explore Stoicism, Buddhism, happiness and enjoying life. Love books? Get Unlimited Reading/Listening: As you kiss your son good night, says Epictetus, whisper to yourself, 'He may be dead in the morning.' Lee lifted the breadbox and took out a tiny volume bound in leather, and the gold tooling was almost completely worn away—The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius in English translation. I have been a member for the last 6 years and this is my first review of all the books I have read. What surprised me so much about the personal diary of an ancient Roman emperor written nearly two thousand years ago is that I understood what Marcus Aurelius felt. I, too, have an inner battle every morning to get out of my warm bed. I, too, deal with the stress of life and I have to ask myself, “What is in my control and what isn’t?” I never in a million years would believe that I have something in common with the most powerful person who lived two thousand years ago.