The Meditations By Marcus Aurelius

Source: classics.mit.edu...

I was wondering how many here on ATS share with me the understanding of Stoasizm and the writings of Marcus Aurelius who was alive from 121 to 180. This link above is to the rather dry version without the requisite background of historical notes but with some research of anything in his writings, you do not understand a search engine query should enlighten the subject. I kind of fell on these writings when I was studying in Berlin in the early 80's while stationed there. I realized that I was by nature a stoic at that time and all these many decades later it remains my core philosophy. I did not find a thread on this subject so I thought I would start one. Of course, there is also the daily stoic for those who just want a primer on the subject. dailystoic.com...

originally posted by: machineintelligence

I did not find a thread on this subject so I thought I would start one.

Good thread and very interesting way of looking at the world - here's a nice primer video.

“The happiness of those who want to be popular depends on others; the happiness of those who seek pleasure fluctuates with moods outside their control; but the happiness of the wise grows out of their own free acts.”

My favorite quote from Meditations.

a reply to: underwerks

I would argue against that quote, that the happiness of the wise grows out of knowledge and experience, and the happiness of the free grows up their own free acts. Just I haven't seen that the wise and the free are always the same. You can be a rebel concentranting on your own will or you can be wise, by understanding the will of everyone else.
Marcus Aurelius is certainly a great thinker in history whose philosophy deserves attention!

originally posted by: eitea
a reply to: underwerks

I would argue against that quote, that the happiness of the wise grows out of knowledge and experience, and the happiness of the free grows up their own free acts. Just I haven't seen that the wise and the free are always the same. You can be a rebel concentranting on your own will or you can be wise, by understanding the will of everyone else.
Marcus Aurelius is certainly a great thinker in history whose philosophy deserves attention!

Why not both 'wise and rebel'? One then attains 'Empath' status.

a reply to: vethumanbeing

I think that in practice we are almost never (never say never) the absolutes. In life we are mostly a mix of the ideas of absolutes. In life we are part rebel, wise, conservative, stupid etc. and we only gravitate towards certain aspects in different times. Philosophy often likes to play with absolutes, that are not practical, but help to build meaning around of certain words

a reply to: eitea

When the bullets were flying all my battle buddies were stoics. We lived to see another day as a result so it remains my core phylosophy today after about 3 decades.

originally posted by: machineintelligence
a reply to: eitea

When the bullets were flying all my battle buddies were stoics. We lived to see another day as a result so it remains my core phylosophy today after about 3 decades.

Keep it cool under pressure (you might come out of this circumstance alive).

I am interested in stoicism, though I often willingly fail at its core principles. One of my favorites is Seneca.
everydaypower.com...