Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: Whatsoever doth happen in the ordinary…
Whatsoever doth happen in the ordinary course and consequence of natural events, neither the Gods, (for it is not possible, that they either wittingly or unwittingly should do anything amiss) nor men, (for it is through ignorance, and therefore against their wills that they do anything amiss) must be accused. None then must be accused.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Blame is often our first attempt to make an unwanted event feel manageable. We blame fate, the system, our parents, our boss, ourselves, or whoever is closest. Marcus asks us to be more precise. Natural events are not moral offenses. People often act badly from ignorance, fear, or confusion—not because they were designed to ruin our day. Understanding this does not remove accountability. We still set consequences, protect ourselves, and repair what can be repaired. But it frees us from the corrosive belief that every hardship requires a villain. Sometimes a storm is a storm. Sometimes another person is limited. Sometimes we made the best decision available and the result still hurt. Today, before assigning blame, ask what purpose it serves. If it will not help you respond wisely, put your attention on the next useful action instead.
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