Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: Of everything that presents itself unto…
Of everything that presents itself unto thee, to consider what the true nature of it is, and to unfold it, as it were, by dividing it into that which is formal: that which is material: the true use or end of it, and the just time that it is appointed to last.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Things become frightening when we leave them vague. A job rejection feels like proof that we are failures. An insult feels like a permanent judgment. A new phone or promotion seems like the answer to everything. Marcus recommends taking each thing apart. What is it, really? What is it made of? What can it actually do? How long will it last? A rejection is one employer's decision at one point in time. An insult is air, sound, and another person's opinion. A shiny possession is an object that will soon be outdated. This is not cold detachment. It is a way to recover proportion. When you examine an event instead of reacting to its label, you make better decisions. Today, take one worry or desire that feels oversized and describe it in plain, factual terms. Reality is often more manageable than the story around it.
Related passages
- Marcus Aurelius Add nothing beyond the first report. Someone speaks badly of you; that is all reported, not that you are harmed. A…
- Marcus Aurelius As every fancy and imagination presents itself unto thee, consider (if it be possible) the true nature, and the proper…
- Marcus Aurelius Behold and observe, what is the state of their rational part; and those that the world doth account wise, see what…