Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: All, petty things; all things that are…
All, petty things; all things that are soon altered, soon perished. And all things come from one beginning; either all severally and particularly deliberated and resolved upon, by the general ruler and governor of all; or all by necessary consequence.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Everything around us is temporary, and most of it is smaller than we make it. The object of today’s worry, the purchase you are obsessing over, the slight you cannot forget—these will change, fade, or be forgotten. Marcus combines this reminder with humility about the universe: whether events are guided by providence or arise through natural necessity, they are not arranged around our preferences. That should make us less arrogant about both success and failure. You did not create all the conditions that helped you; you cannot control all the conditions that hinder you. What remains is your response. Do not make a passing thing into a permanent master. Today, take the issue currently occupying the most space in your mind and ask how large it will seem in a year. Then give it only the proportionate attention it deserves.
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