Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: Let him look to that. He is master of…
Let him look to that. He is master of his own disposition, and of his own operation. I for my part am in the meantime in possession of as much, as the common nature would have me to possess: and that which mine own nature would have me do, I do.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Other people are responsible for their own attitudes and actions. You can advise them, cooperate with them, or protect yourself from them, but you cannot manage their character for them. Trying to do so is a reliable way to become resentful.
If someone is rude, unreliable, or jealous, let them own that. Do not mirror it. Your responsibility is simpler and harder: accept what the situation gives you, then do what your own nature requires—be fair, disciplined, and useful.
This can be practiced in small moments. A driver cuts you off; let that be their choice, not your excuse to rage. A teammate misses a deadline; address it directly without letting it turn you dishonest or vindictive. Today, draw a clean boundary between their job and yours. Their disposition belongs to them. Your conduct remains available to you.
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