Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

thou doest every act of thy life as if it were the last, laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self-love, and discontent with the portion which has been given to thee.

Now the universe is preserved, as by the changes of the elements so by the changes of things compounded of the elements.

BEGIN the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial

not to be indifferent when a friend finds fault, even if he should find fault without reason, but to try to restore him to his usual disposition

For that which happens equally to him who lives contrary to nature and to him who lives according to nature, is neither according to nature nor contrary to nature.

Do not be carried along inconsiderately by the appearance of things, but give help to all according to thy ability and their fitness;

Everything which happens is as familiar and well known as the rose in spring and the fruit in summer; for such is disease, and death, and calumny, and treachery, and whatever else delights fools or vexes them.

It is no evil for things to undergo change, and no good for things to subsist in consequence of change.

piety and beneficence, and abstinence

From my mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich.