 |
| source: Amazon.com |
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus / translated by George Long
From the book’s cover:
The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote down his thoughts between 170 and 180. He was a late Stoic Philosopher and this one of the few examples of this type of literature that exists today. The book is written as personal notes to himself and his thesis is that one can obtain inner calm irrespective of outer adversity. The text considers good and evil, solidarity, adversity and inner freedom. It is a book that offers wisdom, comfort and inspiration. As well as the thought, this edition contains a biographical sketch and summary of the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, a number of illustrations and both an index and index of terms.
Philosophy fascinates me, but at the same time, I frankly just don't get it. I supposed I am too tightly welded to my own theory on life, God, and the whole "why we are here"-thing. Nevertheless, it is always interesting to read a new perspective (or revisit an old one, in this case) and try and glean some useful insights. I can't recall now why I decided to read Meditations, but I know it had something to do with bumping into some insight attributed to Marcus Aurelius while learning something else, and then deciding to go ahead and read the whole thing. And that brings me down to the present moment.
What can I say? Hmmm. Well, Marcus Aurelius was definitely a stoic. Which didn't hurt my feelings, as I find much to be admired in the concepts in stoicism. Although I must add, I can't help but wonder if much of the material written was done when the man was in his older years. Stoicism, though applicable to all walks of life, seems best suited to one who faces death and needs most to reconcile themselves to their past, present and unknown future.
There are many useful insights written in Meditations that I liked. Unfortunately, this means you're going to get a list of quotes and then my thoughts on them. And since I don't have a mind like a steel trap (nor a physical copy of the text; I listened to the Librivox version), you're stuck with me pulling quotes from the net. Some might not even be directly from Mediations even! So bear with me. Please.
 |
| The Meditations author, Marcus Aurelius Antonius, who was Emperor of Rome from March 161 to March of 180 AD./ Source: Livius.org |
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." Talk about seeing life as it really is. This statement is even more so in our modern world than it was in his time.
"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." One problem that can be associated with stoicism is that it seems a philosophy of the downcast. At least that is one perspective. An Eeyore point of view, you might say. It doesn't matter what we do. All life is vanity. But there are some gems like this one, which provide the needed balance. It is the epitome of the glass being half-full point of view, and gives stoicism a much needed sense of hope.
"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." I recall it being said of a famous Holocaust survivor (I forget who, which is a shame) that he made it through by remembering that those who treated him as inhuman only had power of part of him, and that he could choose to deal with anything he might be brought to face or endure. Perhaps that survivor was inspired by this statement.
 |
| Eeyore is a stoic? How very philosophical. To be honest, I never looked at the writings of A.A. Milne in that lights, though I know there is at least one book out there about how his works can be viewed in an eastern philosophical light (The Tao of Pooh, which was on my mother's bookshelf at one time) / Source: rufiojones.wordpress.com |
"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature." Our thoughts become our actions and our actions become our character. I think that is how that line of thought goes. Either way, Marcus Aurelius knew the value of how thought translate into real world application, it seems.
"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 opinions of himself than on the opinions of others." A nice one to think on if someone has wronged you in word or deed.
"If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it." I know this one came from Meditations as it had an impact when said. That is a powerful injunction.
"Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too." A history major's delight, that statement.
"Everything that happens happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so." If you've ever done something foolish, or wondered why something happened to you that you did not want... It doesn't make it any less painful, but with perspective, this is powerful antidote to the pains of accumulated distress and misfortunes.
"The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it." A tough one for those of us who fight change. But valuable as well, for seeing what change is useful for, I think.
"Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul." When people respond to me in an awkward way due to my natural introvert-ish leanings, this one should fit the circumstances well. After all, Marcus Aurelius does not strike me as an introvert, nor as a highly extroverted type. The balance he seems to have achieved is remarkable. And yet he advocates introspection and the use of the inner mind to bring harmony when the world is falling apart about you, or even to reconnect with what is most important. Granted, that is my interpretation of the passage, but is that not part of the point of philosophy. No man's philosophy is worth a plug nickel if you can't apply it to your own situation.
"Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil." I don't fully believe in this, but I do see how it can be reconciled to my beliefs. After all, without human agency, there is little evil inherrant in the world. We make things either good or bad by our actions, which blossom out of our thoughts, which come from our desires, which touch to the core of what we are, and what we want to be. So in a way, we are the source of all evil, and all good. But then, what of God and the devil? I'll let you decide on that. I already have my own view on it.
 |
| When you look at the Wikipedia page which describes Meditations, it gives this image and adds the caption stating: "Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations in Greek at his base in Sirmium in modern-day Serbia and also while positioned at Aquincum on campaign in Pannonia in modern-day Hungary." I suppose this means that this is one of the places in which Mediations was written. Very pretty spot, I say. / Source: Wikipedia.com |
"Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away." Another one I know comes from the text, as it rang true to me when I heard it. Actually this sentiment is repeated over and over in Meditations, and to tell true, it got kind of annoying after awhile. I wanted to say: "Yes, I get the point, everything is impermanent and all things pass away. Check. Got it. Enough already!" But It is a truism, even if over-stated.
The only problems I had with Meditations were that some things seemed over-stated (as I noted above). I think it could have been said much more simply. But philosophers rarely state themselves simply, I perceive. Value the one that does.
The mechanics of the book were also a bit annoying at times. A product of the time the author came from (thousands of years ago) and the translation, I imagine. And there was another mixed bag-effect. The translator for the version available on Librivox added some commentary at the end of the book, which was useful for the understanding of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus's background and also on the subtleties of his Meditations, but seemed to drag on some. But then the text itself seemed to do that at times, for me. Guess deep stuff is not what I am in the mood for lately.
All things considered, the book was worth my time, and I recommend it. If I didn't already have a personal philosophy, I think stoicism, as outlined by Meditations, would make an excellent base for further exploration. A man could live a much worse life than one guided by the principles dictated herein. But to each their own, I suppose.
Oh, one funny point. One of the narrator's for a single chapter of the book sounded like Casey Kasem. I got a kick out of that. Then again, another one I've heard before, and his recording and diction were a bit annoying to me. So as with any Librivox recording, it's a toss up. If you go that route.
Well, thanks for reading, and like the message said, check out my soon-to-be-updated work on Wong Lives! And now, my final parting comment on What Went Wong:
 |
| Source: LolSnaps.com |
Now that's a fortune for ya!
No comments:
Post a Comment
We're pleased to receive your comments, but the author does check submissions before attaching them to the blog. See, it's only theoretically a free country in here...