Marcus Aurelius
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.
Let thy chief fort and place of defense be a mind free from passions. A stronger place and better fortified than this, hath no man.
No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to be, but be such.
Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of your mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts. Dye it then with a continuous series of such thoughts as these: for instance, that where a man can live, there he can also live well.
The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, in so far as it stands ready against the accidental and the unforeseen, and is not apt to fall.
That which is not good for the hive is not good for the bee.
- All from Marcus Aurelius, 121 - 180
About: Marcus Annius Verus was born to Spanish parents at Rome on 26 Apr in 121. He was a serious and studious child and came to the attention of the emperor Hadrian. Hadrian adopted Antoninus, who in turn adopted Marcus, establishing the succession. At this time he was called Aurelius, the golden one. During Antoninus' peaceful reign, Aurelius was a diligent administrator, a priest in the state religion, and a stoic philosopher. During this time he wrote "The Meditations" in Greek, most quotes that survive are from that volume. When he came to power himself, the empire was under attack first by Parthia, then smallpox, and then by Germanic tribes, and Aurelius spent most of his reign in the field commanding his troops and provided us with few quotes. And if you are wondering, yes he was the 'Gladiator'!
posted by think_free at 8:21 PM
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