🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. The philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, known as Stoicism, emphasizes rationality, self-control, and acceptance of one's fate in the universe. This approach is still studied and appreciated today for its practical advice on how to live a fulfilling life.
2. The only thing that matters in life is activity
3. Nothing is good except what leads to fairness, self-control, courage, and free will. And nothing bad except what does the opposite.

🕵🏼Who Should Read It?

The book may not appeal to all readers, as it lacks a clear central theme and is comprised of personal reflections and notes from Marcus Aurelius. Originally not intended for publication, it is most engaging for those interested in Stoicism or seeking insight into the thoughts of Marcus Aurelius.

☘️ How the Book Changed Me

Meditations enhanced my understanding of Marcus Aurelius, and the book significantly increased my admiration for him. It also altered my perspective on self-control and material possessions. While I found some of Marcus's statements excessively rigorous and occasionally overly simplistic, I can affirm that I share many of his values and his approach to life. To me, Marcus Aurelius is an exemplar of how to manage persistent stress and discover purpose and joy in life.

✍️ My Top 3 Quotes

“Noting natural is evil.” Marcus Aurelius

“No thefts of free will reported.” Epictetus

“You’re better off not giving the small things more time than they deserve.” Marcus Aurelius

📒 Summary + Notes

It is hard to summarize a book that has no central theme and that is not actually a book because Marcus Aurelius wrote 12 “Books” containing his thoughts and notes. These 12 Books have no central theme and are not in chronological order or even logical order. That is why I thought I will explain who Marcus Aurelius is and why he wrote those notes to himself. Also, I will summarize the book to recurring values and messages that Marcus Aurelius believes and lives on.

The life of Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor and philosopher who ruled from 161 to 180 AD and is best known for his writings on stoicism. He sprang from a distinguished enough family. The year of his birth coincided whit his grandfather’s second tenure of the consulship, in theory, Rome’s highest office. It was to be his grandfather who brought him up, for his father died when he was very young. Marcus Aurelius is said to have been fond of quoting Plato’s dictum and those who have written about him have rarely been able to resist applying it to Marcus himself. Although Marcus was born into a wealthy family, it was never considered that Marcus would become emperor of Rome but in 137 Ceionius (the planned successor of the emperor Hadrian) died unexpectedly, and Hadrian was forced to cast about for a new successor. His choice fell on the childless senator Antoninus, whom he selected with the proviso that Antoninus should in turn adopt Marcus (his nephew by marriage). Marcus took on the family name of his adopted father, becoming Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.

Happiness and Mindfulness

Marcus demonstrated a high level of self-awareness and a keen understanding of how to achieve happiness and mindfulness. This is exemplified in Book 4 where he stated the following: “People try to get away from it all—to the country, to the beach, to the mountains. You always wish that you could too. Which is idiotic: you can get away from it anytime you like.” His solution for this problem is going within. Being mindful. He states that the most important ability to have is to control your thoughts and treat them with respect. He said that you should forget everything else because each of us lives only now, this brief instant. The rest has been lived already or is impossible to see.

Marcus said that there is no reason to not be happy. Why should you suffer and be degraded -miserable, tense, frightened?

Minimalism

Despite being one of the wealthiest and most influential individuals in the world, Marcus never fixated on material possessions and refrained from boasting about his belongings and power. He wore normal clothes, fasted and sometimes lived in a soldier’s tent to remind him of his values.

For example, in Book 8, he says you should be satisfied if you can live the rest of your life, however short. You should focus on that and not let anything distract you. You should not wander all over and finally realize that you never found what you were after, how to live. Not in syllogisms, not in money, fame, or self-indulgence. Nowhere.

Also, he says that you should stop prizing other things because otherwise, you will never be free and independent. You will always be envious and jealous, afraid that people might come and take it all away from you.

Stress

It's easy to see how the emperor of Rome would be under a lot of stress. During Marcus' reign, he faced a plague that caused widespread death, had to navigate conflicts with the Parthian empire, and even dealt with multiple attempts to deceive him. Despite all of these challenges, Marcus had a simple yet effective way of managing stress. He reminded himself of the following: What is it—this thing that now forces itself on my notice? What is it made up of? How long was it designed to last? And what qualities do I need to bring to bear on it—tranquillity, courage, honesty, trustworthiness, straightforwardness, independence or what?

Self-control

It has been said that Marcus possessed an extraordinary degree of self-control. In his writings, Marcus frequently emphasizes the importance of self-control. For instance, in Book 3 he states: How to act: Never under compulsion, out of selfishness, without forethought, with misgivings. Don’t gussy up your thoughts. No surplus words or unnecessary actions.

His self-control is also displayed when he talks about waking up early. He agrees that we have to sleep sometime. But he said that nature set a limit on that—as it did on eating and drinking. And you’re over the limit. You’ve had more than enough of that. But not of working. So if you want to learn how to wake up as early as marcus aurelius you have to read the summary about the book miracle morning (https://www.peopleofgrowth.com/post/themiraclemorning)

Death

Marcus has a very drastic view of death and a very simple one too. He states that death is only the dissolution of the elements from which each living thing is composed. If it doesn’t hurt the individual elements to change continually into one another, why are people afraid of all of them changing and separating? It’s a natural thing. And noting nature is evil.

According to Marcus, the only thing to be afraid of is the possibility of one day losing our comprehension of the world.

In observing Marcus' way of life, it is evident that he maintained a strict lifestyle while also being open to showing helplessness. This is particularly impressive, given the environment in which he was raised. It's remarkable that Marcus helped to shape modern Stoicism, which is evident when reading contemporary books on the subject (see https://www.peopleofgrowth.com/post/discipline-is-destiny). Despite facing countless distractions, Marcus was able to manage his life in a simplistic and disciplined manner. I hold great respect for him and his lifestyle. Please share your thoughts on Marcus Aurelius and his way of life in the comments below. I hope to see you in my next blog post.

With regards
Devin Hasler