Meditations

I read the Gregory Hays translation and I’ve to say, the small introduction leading up to Marcus Aurelius’s rule and the required background to the book is one of the best introductions I’ve read. It’s extremely captivating.

There are various topics discussed in this book, but the author is particularly and acutely aware of death and makes it quite apparent in the book. He constantly reminds himself about the “shortness of life”–a common theme in Stoic philosophy. That it wouldn’t matter the least bit once you die, and everybody else will also die. So it doesn’t matter what they think or what you think, what truly matters is you doing the role you were assigned to do in this world, to help others in whatever capacity you can.

But that being said, this isn’t a very good philosophy book–or any book for that matter–because of the way it’s structured, the learnings, and the story that is being told in certain paragraphs. And there’s a very good reason–for it was never meant to be a book. It was a collection of snippets Marcus Aurelius wrote for himself when he started practicing philosophy in order to be a better person, a popular exercise when it comes to learning and understanding philosophy. And that’s exactly what makes this such a coveted book. To see a man of his stature and power talk about things as mundane as not getting out of bed in the morning because it’s too comfortable placates you and tells you how everybody faces the same problems in life. For him to pursue his ideal self with dedication and perseverance makes this a self-help book you didn’t know you needed. The content within is nothing special, more or less the same you’d find in any other philosophy or self-help book, In fact, you’d find modern retellings of Stoic philosophy much better if you want to learn more about it. And to be very honest, I trudged through the majority of the content in the book, finding helpful nuggets of wisdom only once in a while. But the important part, imo, is to read between the lines. To understand his motivation to pursue higher ideals despite having all the power in the world. Despite being someone who doesn’t have to care for any amenities in the world. For such a person, to be talking about living modestly, helping others, and sustenance is what’s so inspiring about this book.