Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: First; let it not trouble thee. For all…
First; let it not trouble thee. For all things both good and evil: come to pass according to the nature and general condition of the universe, and within a very little while, all things will be at an end; no man will be remembered: as now of Africanus (for example) and Augustus it is already come to pass.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Much of what troubles us is made heavier by the belief that it should not be happening. Marcus offers two reminders: events unfold within the normal conditions of the world, and nearly everything that feels permanent will pass. Even the names that once dominated public life eventually become historical footnotes. That can sound bleak, but it can also be liberating. The insult, embarrassment, and professional disappointment you are carrying may matter today, yet they do not deserve an eternal lease in your mind. This is not permission to dismiss grief or injustice. It is a refusal to give every disturbance cosmic importance. When you are caught in a spiral, zoom out: this is one moment in a brief life, on a changing planet, among people who will soon be forgotten too. Today, let impermanence soften your grip on one worry. Handle what needs handling, then stop treating it as the whole story.
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