Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: What is the use that now at this…
What is the use that now at this present I make of my soul? Thus from time to time and upon all occasions thou must put this question to thyself; what is now that part of mine which they call the rational mistress part, employed about? Whose soul do I now properly possess? a child's? or a youth's? a woman's? or a tyrant's? some brute, or some wild beast's soul?
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Check in with the part of you that is driving. Are you responding like a frightened child, an impulsive teenager, a bully, or a cornered animal? We all shift into these modes under stress. The useful move is not shame; it is noticing before that state takes over your choices.
When someone challenges you in a meeting, do you become defensive and need to win? When you are tired, do you reach for comfort without thinking? When you have power, do you become dismissive? These are signals that your judgment has handed the wheel to something less wise.
Pause and ask: What is my mind occupied with right now? Is it seeking truth, fairness, and useful action—or merely relief, approval, and dominance? You cannot prevent every immature impulse. You can refuse to let it make the next decision. Today, make one choice from your best self rather than your most reactive one.
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