Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: When thou wilt comfort and cheer…
When thou wilt comfort and cheer thyself, call to mind the several gifts and virtues of them, whom thou dost daily converse with; as for example, the industry of the one; the modesty of another; the liberality of a third; of another some other thing.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
When we are irritated with people, our attention becomes a searchlight for their flaws. The coworker is slow, the partner is distracted, the friend is unreliable. Marcus offers a practical correction: deliberately inventory the good qualities of the people around you. Notice one person’s diligence, another’s restraint, another’s generosity, another’s humor under pressure. This is not sentimental blindness. People can be difficult and still possess virtues worth recognizing. In fact, seeing those virtues gives you something better to imitate than constant criticism does. It also changes the atmosphere you carry into a room. A team does not need another person silently keeping score. Your family does not need another expert on everyone’s shortcomings. Today, pick three people you encounter regularly and name one good quality in each. Let appreciation train your eye as carefully as annoyance has.
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