Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: The Pythagoreans were wont betimes in…
The Pythagoreans were wont betimes in the morning the first thing they did, to look up unto the heavens, to put themselves in mind of them who constantly and invariably did perform their task: as also to put themselves in mind of orderliness, or good order, and of purity, and of naked simplicity. For no star or planet hath any cover before it.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
The morning sky offers a lesson before the notifications begin. Stars and planets keep their course without self-promotion, disguise, or complaint. The Pythagoreans used this image to remember order, purity, and simplicity. We need a version of that ritual because the first thing many of us do is hand our attention to chaos. Before we have stood up, someone else's urgency has entered the room. A brief look outward can restore proportion. The world is larger than your inbox; the day has a structure whether you panic or not. This is not an escape from responsibility. It is preparation to meet responsibility with a less cluttered mind. Try beginning tomorrow without your phone for five minutes. Look out a window, take a walk, or sit quietly. Let the first impression of the day be steadiness, not demand.
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