Marcus Aurelius Quotes…
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors and the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace, calm, and stability for the Roman Empire lasting from 27 BC to 180 AD. He served as Roman consul in 140, 145, and 161.
Marcus Aurelius Quotes
“The best answer to anger is silence.”
“Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.”
“The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.”
“Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn’t matter.”
“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
“If it is not right, do not do it, if it is not true, do not say it.”
“Stay calm and serene regardless of what life throws at you.”
“That which isn’t good for the hive, isn’t good for the bee.”
“The memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed in time.”
“A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions.”
“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
“Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible.”
“We live only now. Everything else is either passed or is unknown.”
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.”
“You’re better off not giving the small things more time than they deserve.”
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
“Every living organism is fulfilled when it follows the right path for its own nature.”
“It’s a disgrace in this life when the soul surrenders first while the body refuses to.”
“You shouldn’t give circumstances the power to rouse anger, for they don’t care at all.”
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
“Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what’s left and live it properly.”
“Give thyself leisure to learn some good thing, and cease roving and wandering to and fro.”
“It’s silly to try to escape other people’s faults. They are inescapable. Just try to escape your own.”
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
“Dig deep within yourself, for there is a fountain of goodness ever ready to flow if you will keep digging.”
“To live a good life: We have the potential for it. If we learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference.”
“Because most of what we say and do is not essential. Ask yourself at every moment, “Is this necessary?””
“It’s unfortunate that this has happened. No. It’s fortunate that this has happened and I’ve remained unharmed.”
“It’s all in how you perceive it. You’re in control. You can dispense with misperception at will, like rounding the point.”
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
“Your mind will take the shape of what you frequently hold in thought, for the human spirit is colored by such impressions.”
“The mind freed from passions is an impenetrable fortress—a person has no more secure place of refuge for all time.”
“Take a good hard look at people’s ruling principle, especially of the wise, what they run away from & what they seek out.”
“Accept the things to which fate binds you and love the people with whom fate brings you together but do so with all your heart.”
“[I have learned] To read with diligence; not to rest satisfied with a light and superficial knowledge, nor quickly to assent to things commonly spoken of.”
“The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, because an artful life requires being prepared to meet and withstand sudden and unexpected attacks.”
“It is the responsibility of leadership to work intelligently with what is given, and not waste time fantasizing about a world of flawless people and perfect choices.”
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.”
“Don’t be ashamed of needing help. You have a duty to fulfill just like a soldier on the wall of battle. So what if you are injured and can’t climb up without another soldier’s help?”
“Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.”
“You have been formed of three parts—body, breath, and mind. Of these, the first two are yours insofar as they are only in your care. The third alone is truly yours.”
“All you need are these: certainty of judgment in the present moment: action for the common good in the present moment; and an attitude of gratitude in the present moment for anything that comes your way.”
“Kindness is invincible, but only when it’s sincere, with no hypocrisy or faking. For what can even the most malicious person do if you keep showing kindness and, if given the chance, you gently point out where they went wrong—right as they are trying to harm you?”
“If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.”
“It is essential for you to remember that the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth, for then you won’t tire and give up, if you aren’t busying yourself with lesser things beyond what should be allowed.”
“Whatever anyone does or says, for my part I’m bound to the good. In the same way an emerald or gold or purple might always proclaim: ‘whatever anyone does or says, I must be what I am and show my true colors.”
