Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: Of all unreasonable creatures, there is…
Of all unreasonable creatures, there is but one unreasonable soul; and of all that are reasonable, but one reasonable soul, divided betwixt them all. As of all earthly things there is but one earth, and but one light that we see by; and but one air that we breathe in, as many as either breathe or see.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
We live as if we are separate projects competing for limited attention, credit, and safety. Marcus reminds himself that human beings share a rational nature, just as we share air, sunlight, and the earth beneath us. This does not mean everyone thinks wisely or behaves well. It means their capacity for reason, and their claim on our basic regard, is the same kind as ours. The driver who cuts you off, the coworker who frustrates you, the stranger whose politics irritate you: all are participants in the same human arrangement. Resentment narrows that view until other people become obstacles. Stoicism asks us to widen it again. We are not required to approve of anyone’s choices. We are required to remember that cooperation is more natural to us than contempt. In your next conflict, look for the shared problem before defending your private position.
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