Marcus Aurelius

And even if he has done wrong, how do I know that he has not condemned himself?

And even if the tempest carry thee away, let it carry away the poor flesh, the poor breath, everything else; for the intelligence at least it will not carry away.

But if there is a confusion without a governor, be content that in such a tempest thou hast in thyself a certain ruling intelligence.

But if there is a providence which allows itself to be propitiated, make thyself worthy of the help of the divinity.

If then there is an invincible necessity, why dost thou resist?

Either there is a fatal necessity and invincible order, or a kind providence, or a confusion without a purpose and without a director (iv. 27).

How ridiculous and what a stranger he is who is surprised at anything which happens in life.

With respect to that which happens conformably to nature, we ought to blame neither gods, for they do nothing wrong either voluntarily or involuntarily, nor men, for they do nothing wrong except involuntarily.

What a power man has to do nothing except what God will approve, and to accept all that God may give him.

In the application of thy principles thou must be like the pancratiast, not like the gladiator; for the gladiator lets fall the sword which he uses and is killed; but the other always has his hand, and needs to do nothing else than use it.

Consider in what condition both in body and soul a man should be when he is overtaken by death; and consider the shortness of life, the boundless abyss of time past and future, the feebleness of all matter.

Practise thyself even in the things which thou despairest of accomplishing.

For if it were just, it would also be possible; and if it were according to nature, nature would have had it so.

I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.

For he who regards not the poor flesh which envelops him, surely will not trouble himself by looking after raiment and dwelling and fame and such like externals and show.

And let neither another man's wickedness hinder thee, nor opinion nor voice, nor yet the sensations of the poor flesh which has grown about thee; for the passive part will look to this.

Conformably to justice, that thou mayst always speak the truth freely and without disguise, and do the things which are agreeable to law and according to the worth of each.

Conformably to piety that thou mayest be content with the lot which is assigned to thee, for nature designed it for thee and thee for it.

And this means, if thou wilt take no notice of all the past, and trust the future to providence, and direct the present only conformably to piety and justice.

All those things at which thou wishest to arrive by a circuitous road thou canst have now, if thou dost not refuse them to thyself.

Neither in writing nor in reading wilt thou be able to lay down rules for others before thou shalt have first learned to obey rules thyself.

He who has not one and always the same object in life, cannot be one and the same all through his life.

And also when the ruling faculty is discontented with anything that happens, then too it deserts its post: for it is constituted for piety and reverence towards the gods no less than for justice.

For the movement towards injustice and intemperance and to anger and grief and fear is nothing else than the act of one who deviates from nature.

Is it not then strange that thy intelligent part only should be disobedient and discontented with its own place?