Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: Repentance is an inward and…
Repentance is an inward and self-reprehension for the neglect or omission of somewhat that was profitable. Now whatsoever is good, is also profitable, and it is the part of an honest virtuous man to set by it, and to make reckoning of it accordingly. But never did any honest virtuous man repent of the neglect or omission of any carnal pleasure: no carnal pleasure then is either good or profitable.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
We rarely regret not taking one more shallow pleasure. What we regret is the useful thing we avoided while chasing it: the work left undone, the promise we broke, the conversation we postponed, the money we wasted, the health we neglected. Marcus does not argue that enjoyment is evil. He distinguishes between what feels good in the moment and what genuinely benefits a life. That distinction is essential in a culture built to convert every discomfort into a purchase, snack, drink, or distraction. Pleasure can be part of a good life, but it is a poor ruler. Ask what tomorrow will inherit from tonight’s choice. Will you feel restored, connected, and clear—or merely briefly entertained? Today, before reaching for an easy escape, identify the valuable thing it might be helping you avoid. Give that thing ten honest minutes first. You may still choose the pleasure afterward, but it will no longer be choosing for you.
Related passages
- Marcus Aurelius Again, how he was no backbiter, nor easily frightened, nor suspicious, and in his language free from all affectation…
- Marcus Aurelius As one who is altogether governed by nature, let it be thy care to observe what it is that thy nature in general doth…
- Marcus Aurelius Be it so: yet there be many other good things, for the want of which thou canst not plead the want or natural ability.…