Frightened of change? But what can exist without it? What’s closer to nature’s heart? Can you take a hot bath and leave the firewood as it was? Eat food without transforming it? Can any vital process take place without something being changed? He read slowly, moving his lips over the words. “Everything is only for a day, both that which remembers and that which is remembered. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (a.d. 121–180) succeeded his adoptive father as emperor of Rome in a.d. 161—and Meditations remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. With a profound understanding of human behavior, Marcus provides insights, wisdom, and practical guidance on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity to interacting with others. Consequently, the Meditations have become required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style. In Gregory Hays’s new translation—the first in a generation—Marcus’s thoughts speak with a new immediacy: never before have they been so directly and powerfully presented. To feel affection for people even when they make mistakes is uniquely human. You can do it, if you simply recognize: that they’re human too. They act out of ignorance, against their will, and that you’ll both be dead before long. And, above all, that they haven’t really hurt you. They haven’t diminished your ability to choose. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Meditations: A New Translation [EPUB] [4lkf510vrm00] Meditations: A New Translation [EPUB] [4lkf510vrm00]

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. Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the universe loves nothing so much as to change things which are and to make new things like them. For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.” Marcus Aurelius isn't being prescriptive here. He's not even asking us to look internally to ourselves to become better people, or deal with grief or suffering or anger. He's asking himself to look internally. Death is not to be feared, Marus continually reminds himself. It is a natural process, part of the continual change that forms the world” to approach this thought with care, so that nothing irrational creeps in. Meditations by Marcus AureliusWe know. We KNOW. And Marcus Aurelius knew. But we have to give ourselves these little reminders: Don't fear death. It's natural. It has happened before and will happen again. Be slow to anger. Don't let grief consume you. If you don't let grief consume you, it won't. Be kind. You can't control other people. Maybe they don't know better: "But I do."

Meditations: A New Translation: Aurelius, Marcus, Hays

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. Nearly two thousand years after it was written, Meditations remains profoundly relevant for anyone seeking to lead a meaningful life.Don't be afraid of death. Death is a natural part of life. Don't be afraid of it. Instead, embrace it and live your life to the fullest. And while I found Meditations to be profound at times, I also found it to be a frustrating read to really dive into, and downright depressing at times. The forward warned: 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." You don’t have to turn this into something. It doesn’t have to upset you. Things can’t shape our decisions by themselves Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book Review, Highlights, and Quotes from Meditations: A New Translation by Marcus Aurelius – Translated by Gregory Hays

Meditations: A New Translation eBook : Aurelius, Marcus, Hays

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.)

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. The actual “book” however is decent. I call it a “book” specifically because this is not truly a book. It’s a glorified diary from someone who lived a very long time ago. With the way the introduction was written, who knows what was lost to history and what the translator had the liberty of changing. This diary had its moments where a point connected with me and had me questioning something in my life which is why I gave it 3 stars. There are valuable lessons in this, some more valuable than others depending on the person, which make me glad I read it. Every once in a while, I'd disagree with him. I think the advice we give ourselves sometimes is just not practical. Like Paul says, "Why do I do the things I don't want to do, and don't do the things I do want to do?" It's easy to say, "nothing can hurt you: it's just perception." Or, "There are no victims - only those who chose to be victims." I think that only works internally. I'm only a victim if I allow myself to be a victim. And maybe - maybe it's true for others as well. And maybe it's always true. But I can think of instances where - if I said that to someone - I'd be a victim because of the beating the community would give me for saying it. (Liz said, "Are you going to say that to a rape victim? That you're not a victim? That you're only a victim if you allow yourself to be?") And I find myself agreeing with her. The same thing with children who are victims.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: 9780812968255 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: 9780812968255

Thus, I give this a 5 for the historical significance and relevant advice. But I give it a 3 due to aforementioned issues with clarity. It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own. If god appeared to us – or a wise human being, even – and prohibited us from concealing our thoughts or imagining anything without immediately shouting it out, we wouldn’t make it through a single day. That’s how much we value other people’s opinions – instead of our own. Meditations by Marcus AureliusLee 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. 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.