Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: And that as often as thou shalt behold…
And that as often as thou shalt behold them, thou shalt still see the same: as the same things, so the same shortness of continuance of all those things. And, behold, these be the things that we are so proud and puffed up for.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
The things we work so hard to possess and display have a remarkably short shelf life. Trends vanish. Titles pass to someone else. The new car becomes the old car. Even the praise that once kept us awake at night is soon forgotten by the people who gave it. This is not a reason to reject achievement or beauty. It is a reason to hold them with lighter hands. Pride makes temporary things feel permanent, and then makes us miserable when they change as they always do. A little perspective lets us enjoy success without building our identity on it. Look at what you are currently chasing and ask whether it will matter in a year, five years, or after you are gone. Then give your energy to what lasts longer: character, relationships, useful work, and the way you treated people along the way.
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