Thursday, March 1, 2018

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Quotes IX

-The soul obtains its own end, wherever the limit of life may by fixed.
-In all things, except virtue and the acts of virtue, remember to apply yourself to their several parts, and by this division to come to value them little: and apply this rule  also to your whole life.
-What a great soul is that which is ready, at any requisite moment, to be separated from the body and then to be extinguished or dispersed or continue to exist.
-Have I done something for the general interest? Well, then I have had my reward.
-What is your art? To be good. And how is this accomplished well except by general principles.
-Regarding those who try to stand in your way when you are proceeding according to right reason, be on your guard, not only in the matter of steady judgment and action, but also in the matter of gentleness. For this also is weakness, to be vexed at them, as well as to be diverted from your course of action and to give away through fear.
-Shall any man hate me? That will be his affair. But I will be mild and benevolent toward every man.
-A man ought to be seen by the gods neither dissatisfied with anything nor complaining.
-A man's character is in his eyes.
-The man who is honest and good ought to be exactly like a man who smells strong, so that the bystander, as soon as he comes near him, must smell the odor whether he chooses to or not.
-Nothing is more disgraceful than a false friendship.
-If these things are according to nature, rejoice in them, and they will be easy to you: but if contrary to nature, seek what is conformable to you own nature, and strive toward this, even if it brings no reputation; for every man is allowed to seek his own good.
-If men do rightly what they do, we ought not to be displeased; but if they do not right, it is plain that they do so involuntarily and in ignorance.
-A good disposition is invincible.
-Correcting errors must be done not in irony or by way of rebuke, but with kindly affection and without any bitterness at heart, not as from a master's chair, nor yet to impress the bystanders, but as if he were indeed alone even though others are present.
-To expect bad men not to do wrong is madness.
-There is no veil over a star.
-No man can rob us our feel will. 

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