Bobby's Blog

I’ve read Meditations cover to cover only once, but have returned to it countless times. It’s usually when I’m between books, and usually before bed to replace scrolling social media for a dopamine chase 

I bought it to be my introduction to stoicism and other philosophical works, but I was wholly unaware that it’s more diary than book. It isn’t revelatory or an explicit instructional on stoicism and if you’re buying it with those expectations you will be disappointed. It is a book that is good to be read and best to be re-read. The themes need a digestive period to properly be understood. At least, that was my experience. 

My first impression of Meditations is that Marcus Aurelius is repetitive. He frequently repeats and reframes ideas and beliefs throughout the 12 books and it really only makes sense as to why when you understand that they were never supposed to be published as a book, or published at all; this is just Marcus Aurelius’ journal, not intended for an audience. A fact made more evident by many entries being incomprehensible without having further historical context. The thematic repetition is a concerted effort to reinstate and reinforce his beliefs to himself, as if he’d forget them, or without practice they would fail him, and he, in turn, would fail his empire. They are the entries of a man often challenged, and stressed, seeing the worst in people as they hunger for power and status. The emperor of Rome, one of the most powerful and consequential men of his time, had to relentlessly reassure himself that soon he would die, and those around him would perish and turn to dust. Frequent self-reminders of the mortality of men was an exercise in lowering the stakes of his decisions, surely to ease the burden of his office. 

I had bought Gregory Hays’ translation, which seems to be the most well regarded one. It is in my opinion that the best thing about Hays’ translation is not the actual book but his introductory essay. It will teach you more on the theory of stoicism and related themes than Meditations would. Meditations, after all, is not a book teaching you about stoicism, but demonstrating stoicism in practice. But not classical, Grecian stoicism, but a very Roman stoicism, mixed with Epicureanism, Platonism, and Cynicism. 

Hays’ foreword was my introduction to the notion of Providence or the logos. This idea that life is a cart driven by a horse, and we are tied to it. It’s deterministic but still leaves the possibility of free will. You can choose to fight and be dragged by the cart, or run with it. To a degree, most things that happen to you are out of your control but your reaction and how you navigate them is entirely within your control. You’re a boat on a river, you can navigate the current or row against it, the former is more sustainable than the latter. Funnily enough, reading Meditations allowed me to fully grasp the weight of books like The Count of Monte Cristo, and Shogun. In The Count of Monte Cristo Edmond Dantes proclaiming he is Providence is more powerful when you understand he is Fate, his revenge is inevitable. For that reason alone, I consider Meditations as a foundational book to being well-read. The themes are transcendent across literature and ultra-practical to daily life.

Notable Quotations:

“… stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you, stop being hyprocritical, self-centered, irritable. You see how few things you have to do to live a satisfying and reverent life?”

“People who labour all their lives but have no purpose to direct every thought and impulse toward are wasting their time – even when hard at work.”

“Beautiful things of any kind are beautiful in themselves and sufficient to themselves.”

“Blame no one. Set people straight, if you can. If not, just repair the damage. And suppose you can’t do that either. Then where does blaming people get you?”