Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: Let it be thy perpetual meditation, how…
Let it be thy perpetual meditation, how many physicians who once looked so grim, and so theatrically shrunk their brows upon their patients, are dead and gone themselves.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
The people who seem most authoritative today will not be here forever. Doctors, executives, experts, critics, and public figures can project enormous importance, but they are subject to the same mortality as everyone else. Marcus uses that fact to puncture our intimidation.
Respect skill and listen to expertise. Your doctor may know far more about medicine than you do; your manager may hold real power over your work. But do not turn their status into a reason to abandon your own judgment or dignity. They are human beings navigating a short life, just as you are.
Remembering this can help before a difficult meeting or when someone tries to make you feel small. The title, the stern expression, and the impressive résumé are temporary. Speak plainly, prepare carefully, and keep perspective. No one is so important that you need to betray your character in their presence.
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