Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: Of the same nature is sickness and…
Of the same nature is sickness and death; slander, and lying in wait, and whatsoever else ordinarily doth unto fools use to be occasion either of joy or sorrow. That, whatsoever it is, that comes after, doth always very naturally, and as it were familiarly, follow upon that which was before.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Illness, death, gossip, betrayal, and praise all arrive as part of the same changing world. We make ourselves miserable when we act shocked that life contains what life has always contained. Marcus is not saying these things are good. He is saying they are not personal violations of the universe's rules.
A cruel comment online, a diagnosis, or a competitor's unfair move can feel like an interruption to the life you were supposed to have. But every person before us has faced some version of the same forces. Events follow events, often without consulting our preferences.
The useful question is not, Why is this happening to me? It is, Given that this has happened, how will I respond? Expect a world with loss and difficulty. Then you will have more energy for the only part that belongs to you: meeting each development with steadiness, decency, and perspective.
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