Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: Upon every action that thou art about,…
Upon every action that thou art about, put this question to thyself; How will this when it is done agree with me? Shall I have no occasion to repent of it? Yet a very little while and I am dead and gone; and all things are at end.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Before you act, take a moment to meet your future self. Will you be able to live comfortably with this decision after the anger cools, the excitement fades, or the shortcut is discovered? Marcus uses death as the ultimate deadline because it makes postponement and self-deception harder. We have less time than we assume, and many regrets begin as choices we knew were questionable in the moment. This is not a call to overthink every email or become afraid of mistakes. It is a call to bring conscience into the room before the action, not after the damage. The question works for big choices and small ones: Should I send this message? Should I make this promise? Should I spend money this way? Today, pause before one decision you are tempted to rush. Choose the option you will not need to explain away later.
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