"Waste no time arguing about what a good man should be, be one" -Marcus Aurelius I talk a lot and talk too much about philosophy to people and it felt so dumb but after learning stoicism of marcus I felt like I'm outsourcing my happiness by wanting others to acknowledge my opinions and like it but I was unaware that I was doing that so I thank this book
I find myself returning again and again to Meditations. There's so much wisdom there. Here is a passage that I jotted down during my latest reread: " Do external things distract you? Then make time for yourself to learn something worthwhile; stop letting yourself be pulled in all directions. But make sure you guard yourself against the other kind of confusion. People who labor all their lives but have no purpose to direct every thought and impulse toward are wasting their time-even when hard at work." This speaks to me because I found myself focusing on the wrong things (what other people were doing or saying for example) and it was getting to the point where I felt I was losing myself. Also, I wanted to focus, not just on anything for the sake of staying busy, but on the things most that would be the meaningful to me, and the most helpful. I recently discovered your videos and realized I had been in a reading slump because I was trying to read things for the wrong reasons. I'm a librarian who orders fiction but tbh I hate most contemporary writers. Being surrounded by people who read a zillion books a year I felt I was the problem. But I am returning to the classics without apology and I am already much happier. I'm really loving your content Ben, you do great, inspiring work. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing :) That is a powerful instruction for living the good life right there! I used to procrastinate and get distracted a lot too. I had to literally write down on a notecard something to the effect of - "Are you doing what matters to you in this present moment?" and carry it around with me as a reminder for a while. And thank you so much for sharing your reading experience - I have always found librarians, as a collective, to be the most wonderful people. I've had many influential librarians who guided me over the years and I'm tremendously grateful for them! :)
Today I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, my own perceptions, not outside. Meditations 9:13 I am realizing more and more each day anxiety is within me. Anxiety is the result of how I think and feel. Almost all circumstances are neutral. How I respond determines my level of anxiety.
Bought it a few weeks back because a few people I know of on social media kept recommending it. For some odd reason, I was expecting it to be in story-format, like a standard literature classic. This in turn threw me off of wanting to read it, sadly. Though this video of yours is giving me energy to hop back into it, with a more appropriate mindset. Thank you for this, and great video!
It would be a cool idea if someone did want to novelise it or fit a narrative around it - I can see the emperor looking out over the misty battlefield! I hope you get something out of it :) Let me know if any of the maxims do it for you!
Stoicism is great because it's such an effective philosophy that the stoics lived it's a proven wait betteryourlife only worry about things you can control that's one of the key elements for me
As a teacher with responsibility for student discipline, I shared with my students and their parents MA's advice about the difficulty of changing habits, and we use that understanding to prepare a plan to do that one bad habit at a time. It was astonishing how this approach generated cooperation, and I assume it's because we aren't always honest about it, even though everyone knows it's hard to give up bad eating habits, smoking, meeting anger with anger and so on. MA lives on the bedside table, always for times of stress, but also for the pleasure of reading his wise words.
My favourite is Book 8, no. 57 - excellent analogy about the nature of a sunbeam being what the diffusion of thought should be like……’look at light as it falls through a narrow opening into a dark room. It extends in a straight line, striking any solid object that stands in its way and blocks the space beyond it.’ And then…‘that’s what the outpouring-the diffusion-of thought should be like: not emptied out, but extended. And not striking at obstacles with fury and violence, or falling away before them, but holding its ground and illumination what receives it. What doesn’t transmit light creates its own darkness.’
"Dwell on the beauty of life, watch the stars and see yourself running with them" While i can quote 100s of meditations this is the one i find most relevant to the times I'm going through right now. I also wrote a poem containing this quote recently. I like this because it reminds me to take a break, it reminds me that how miniscule my time here on earth is and that makes me calm and all the worries seem to go away at the thought of this.
Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing, Faizan. Looking up at the stars reminds me simultaneously of my significance and insignificance. I don't do it nearly enough, but as you say - it's calming and worries melt away.
that quote is actually from Epictetus recited in the Meditations. Im only mentioning this just in case you haven’t looked into Epictetus and his Discourses written by his pupil Arrian
Its so well written. Never hear anything on that. His phrasing and writing style is so high quality and literarily well done. So suited to his message. So much style and care in the way its conveyed. Of course his points are the main thing but what a writer he was...
12:19 "Perceive at last that thou hast in thee something better and more divine than the things which cause the various affects, and as it were pull thee by the strings. What is there now in my mind? is it fear, or suspicion, or desire, or anything of the kind?" I often think of this quote whenever I feel a more primal, uncontrolled emotion take hold of me. The quote has two lessons: first, keep in mind that I am in control of my life, which is an extraordinary gift in itself and that I need to be grateful for it. Second, it forces me to ponder what and why I am feeling at that given moment. I believe that this short passage, one of the last he wrote, is the best distillation of his philosophy Marcus wrote.
Another amazing one 😍 I've been getting to know about Marcus Aurelius and stoicism recently and decided to check out the book and here you've already made a video about it. It really helped, thank you very much! Also, I don't think I was reading much before coming across your channel or even if I ever read it was done on a very surface level but after watching the way you read and appreciate books I think I've been trying to do the same. Not reading books just for entertainment but really using it to better myself. Idk if that made sense but yeah... your content has given me a lot to ponder upon and for that I'm forever grateful. Thank you so much!
Thank you for reminding me of this book and given me precious advice how to make proper use of the wisdom it provides me with. I followed your guidance and had a quick read, bird‘s-eyes perspective. Love this expression. I found the one that stood out as it opens me a way to deal with a problem that often worries me. My rage towards people who waste my time which I feel is so limited. A rage that makes me say words and act in a manner that thereafter causes me shame and remorse and more energy and time to rebalance myself and fix the harm and shock I’ve caused in others. So here’s the quote from the second book, first paragraph: ‘To act against one another then is contrary to nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away.’
Beautiful. This is one of my personal favourites too. I find these incredibly difficult to implement, but, hey, if in the pursuit of this way of living, one attains even a fraction of what one wishes - that's likely good enough :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy right you are, easy to understand, easy to agree, very difficult to implement. Probably loads of training and several fall-backs into engrained unhelpful habits.
Thanks for the stellar video, as usual! One meditation have been striking me for ages... I can't help finding it... puzzling. 'The universal nature out of the universal substance, as if it were wax, now moulds a horse, and when it has broken this up, it uses the material for a tree, then for a man, then for something else; and each of these things subsists for a very short time. But it is no hardship for the vessel to be broken up, just as there was none in its being fastened together.'
Enjoying reading this. Love its urgency and there are so many beautiful passages although I think many of them are a counsel of perfection. Also not sure I'm suited to the austerity of life as a Stoic. One of the meditations that resonated most for me: "Death and life, fame and ignominy, pain and pleasure, wealth and poverty - all these come to good and bad alike, but they are not in themselves either right or wrong, neither then are they inherent good or evil"
I can't say I'm suited to the austere lifestyle either. Minimalism? Yes. Complete Spartanism and stripping away of all luxuries? Perhaps I'd pass... Great quote, Emma, thank you for sharing and I hope you're keeping well :)
I too underline and highlight passages in the book. In addition, I have filled the flyleaf and the margins with outside wisdoms. IE Hemmingway's quote: There is no nobility in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility is being superior to your former self. Or my own: Compliments are free to give and priceless to get. Make someone rich today. I have quotes from all over the world and they are all over my book.
Just a note to say thank you, you've got me excited about books i never thought id be excited to about. I find your talks very relaxing, and i always find them helping me in one way or another!
Enjoyed your video. I’m halfway through Meditations, and have found it a hard read. I will apply some of your advice how to get the most out of it. My plan before watching your vid was to highlight sections and break it down. Nice to see that was your approach too. Thanks for posting.
Thank you :) It's definitely a hard read, so it's great you have a plan going into it. Highlighting is a wonderful idea! Let me know any golden nuggets you discover, my friend!
Hey Ben. I’ve been following the Stoics for maybe five years now, so imagine my excitement when I saw that you made a video on Meditations. My favorite part of Marcus’ writings is that, as you mentioned, he never intended them to be read by anyone other than himself. That, to me, lends them an authenticity that you don’t get from a lot of other self-help books or what have you. On another note, you’ve single-handedly turned me on to Keats and the other Romantics. I’ve long had a (huge) blind spot regarding poetry and indeed classical literature in general. I visited Verbatim books in San Diego the other day and picked up Keats’ complete works of poetry, and then ordered his letters on Amazon. I’m loving both. If you’re ever in Southern California, I’d love to show you the local bookstores!
A daily read. I've been reading the same translation for years but recently got hold of a few different ones. I read a verse every day. When I get to the end of my dog eared copy (again!) next time I will read a different translation. “Bear in mind that the measure of a man is the worth of the things he cares about.” I also dip into Epictetus daily.
I know this video is 3 years old but I wish we could do a read along and then you give your input and thoughts about what we read.... I like the way you explained what you thought the words were conveying.
Mine is: “You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.”
I read the Meditations last year and my mind was strongly and positively impacted. The Waterfield translation I bought is fully annotated and has a great introduction. I recommend it.
I found this very helpful! I recently was given a collection of his mediations, and I haven’t read these kind of books before. Your video has helped break it down and made it seem less intimidating. Thanks for uploading this :)
Hi Benjamin, Abhijith Maneesh from India, 17 y/o I've found out that at this age period of what I'm going through, greed, envy, anxiety, depression, comparisons, criticism, ego, narcissism, etc is being embedded to our mind by influences... Ive been challenged so many times and I still have each of the qualities that I've mentioned above. But I tend to be better by removing those with good ones. Meditation by Marcus Holy Bhagvat Gita and many more religious books have answers that we may not find them in our first read. Yes we exists and this video is helpful
Book 7; 64 For times when you feel pain: See that it doesn't disgrace you, or degrade your intelligence - doesn't keep it from acting rationally or unselfishly. And in most cases what Epicurus said should help: that pain is neither unbearable nor unending, as long as you keep in mind its limits and don't magnify them in your imagination.
This reminds me of DFW's "This is Water". Also, the Stoics and Buddhists may well have been in contact, their beliefs are similar and the time period is right. I love the wisdom displayed in this video and I mean the wisdom of doing all this reading of literature. I mean to try and read these great books until my brain or my death stops me. Thanks Benjamin!
You’re correct that Meditations is a highly practical book, but it’s also so much more than that. It’s fundamentally spiritual, a work of metaphysics, philosophy, and ethics all at one - there’s a tendency these days to reduce it to a self help manual.
What people often forget is not only were the books written for himself, they were written to be destroyed - historically he destroyed his journals when returning from campaign, and these are merely the ones left after he past while on his last campaign. there was so much more to the man than this snap shot, and they are useful 'conversations' with the man rather than how he would approach trying to teach you. You are looking over a great mans shoulder, and if you remember that, the style makes more sense.
Wow. Fascinating insight. Thank you so much for sharing this. Really puts the whole book into perspective. Can you imagine if we possessed those lost notebooks now? What wisdom is lost to the ages?
@@BenjaminMcEvoy what I like to think is this - a man who was under such pressure, who couldn't be seen as weak, as anything less than a god, saw so much value in self reflection, in acknowledging his anxiety and reflecting on it. Just shows how important that self knowledge is.
Great video! I’m currently reading meditations and this was helpful🙏🏼 it felt a little bit overwhelming before to be honest, but I understand now that I have to approach the book with the right mindset
Loved the video. Just got the book and am new to philosophy in general but this surely cleared up a lot on how I can go through it. Even made me excited to start applying it to my own life😊
"universe, your harmony is my harmony. nothing in your good time is too early or too late for me. Nature, all that your season brings is fruit to me: all comes from you, exists in you, returns to you..."
I read the Meditations in June and four lessons stood out: accepting what's outside of your control and focusing on what you can control (your own self); being mindful of the impermanence of life; seeing reality as it is without our personal biases, assumptions, and opinions getting in the way; and advice on dealing with people and having proper expectations from them. Many of the lessons resonate heavily with eastern ideas. For e.g. looking at reality as it is; that is, coincidently, the aim of meditation in the east as well (quieting the mind and seeing reality for what it is). Mindfully going through suffering in life. Being mindful of impermanence. These are similar to Buddhist ideas. Accepting what the Universe (or God/Logos) does to you without question. This is similar to Bhakti Yoga in Hinduism and similar to even ideas in Abrahamic religions like Islam (surrendering to the will of God). The ideas of Logos is also similar to Karma. "Doing as your nature demands" is similar to the Hindu idea of doing your Dharma. It would take too long to list and find them all. There are passages in each page that I have marked, but since you asked for one I would quote this simple yet effective advice from the Gregory Hays' translation, Book 2 : 16. "The human soul degrades itself: i. Above all, when it does its best to become an abscess, a kind of detached growth on the world. To be disgruntles at anything that happens is a kind of secession from Nature, which compromises the nature of all things. ii. When it turns its back on another person or sets out to do it harm, as the souls of the angry do. iii. When it is overpowered by pleasure or pain. iv. When it puts on a mask and does or say something artificial or false. v. When it allows its action and impulse to be without a purpose, to be random and disconnected: even the smallest things ought to be directed toward a goal. But the goal of rational beings is to follow the rule and law of the most ancient of communities and states."
Love your channel, Benjamin, I've just finished a 'rapid read' of 'Meditations'. I haven't thought this much about a book since I left school😄, a tremendous read. One thing that I have pondered whilst reading it that I struggle to reconcile: MA seems to advocate the 'lassé faire' approach to events occurring, writing that they will happen regardless if you know they're coming or not. What about when you encounter injustice or intimidation of others? Surely you can't stand by and watch it happen? Yes, it may be beyond our control, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't act. It reminds me of British foreign policy in the 1930s, and we all know how that turned out!
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.”
Wow love the video! A big fan of Stoicism (read all books from Ryan Holiday, even joined his Daily Stoic Life club) But somehow I always stuck at Meditation. It has been sitting on my bedside for a very long time already! But I always stop after book 1 for no reason~ Just a side note. "On the Shortness of Life" by Seneca is my absolute favourite by far. Just challenge the way you live your life deeply! I believe Ben you have read it as well! If not please do check it out. Cheers~
Very nice! I had the Daily Stoic journal a few years back and have been reading Seneca for a while now :) I would highly recommend simply skipping that first book and diving into book two, three, or four - or simply opening it at a random page and seeing what meditation leaps out at you!
Great ! Benjamin, as always. " ΕΝΔΟΝ ΣΚΑΠΤΕ, ΕΝΔΟΝ Η ΠΗΓΗ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΑΘΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΕΙ ΑΝΑΒΛΥΕΙΝ ΔΥΝΑΜΕΝΗ, ΕΑΝ ΑΕΙ ΣΚΑΠΤΕΙΣ". "ΤΑ ΕΙΣ ΕΑΥΤΟΝ". Markus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. A Greek friend, Demetrios Maniates.
"The wind scatters one year's leaves on the ground...so it is with so many generations of men" Book 10, stanza 34 Can't you see the Emperor standing still, silently looking around in thought in field of dead bodies, both Roman soldiers and enemy, thinking this to himself?
BOOK 2 - (6) Yes, keep on degrading yourself, soul. But soon YOUR CHANCE AT DIGNITY WILL BE GONE. Everyone gets one life. Yours is almost used up, and instead of treating yourself with respect, you have entrusted your own happiness to the souls of others.
Choose not to be harmed- and you won't feel harmed. Don't feel harmed and you haven't been.That is my favorite. I have two difference translations of meditations. They are both different than yours. Do you have a recommended translation?
Beautiful one. Reminds me of Eleanor Roosevelt's quote - "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." My personal favourite translation is by Robin Hard, available in Oxford World's Classics, but I also like Maxwell Staniforth's, available in Penguin Great Ideas :)
"As a horse when he has run, a dog when he has tackled the game, a bee when it has made the honey, so a man when he has done a good act does not call out for others to come and see, but he goes on to another act, as a vine goes on to produce again the grapes in season"
Hi folks 👋 A number stand out for me so will ponder and then declare one later 📚 Has anyone read / listened to How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson? Fascinating book on the life of Marcus ✊👊
Hi Eriks :) I actually got this one on audiobook a couple of weeks ago. It's read well by the author. I've only had a chance to listen to the first chapter but loving the historical context so far. Well worth an Audible credit!
I wish there was an easier translation of the book. Id love to read it in English but its too hard for me so I need to look words up many times. Dont know if its a hard book for native english speakers too or not!
I think it depends on the translation. The most recent Penguin edition isn't very good - I had to stop reading it. Whoever translates the Oxford University Press or pocket penguin/great ideas series is good though.
You know I'm currently 16 years old and i stared meditations but didn't understand it quite clearly , could you like say how to read it on like a basic reader level, as i am beginner to reading such complex philosophy books
I don't know if it's because of my level of reading, but I found this book so hard to get through. Whether it was that names he mentioned that took me out of the book or just words I constantly had to look up as I was trying to power through a page. I found myself exhausted after every page. Such a hard time reading
At dawn when you have trouble getting out of bed tell yourself, I have to go to work as a human being, what do I have to complain of if I am going to do what I was born for.
Absolutely, this one is the Maxwell Staniforth translation (in Penguin), but my personal favourite is the Robin Hard in the Oxford World's Classics. Both are great :)
« When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can't tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own-not of the same blood or birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. » book ll I work in public service, you have no idea how this quotes change my point of view. I expected others being logical and in control. Everything changes when I accept people are not like that at all
"Dwell on the beauty of life, watch the stars and see yourself running with them"
"Waste no time arguing about what a good man should be, be one" -Marcus Aurelius
I talk a lot and talk too much about philosophy to people and it felt so dumb but after learning stoicism of marcus I felt like I'm outsourcing my happiness by wanting others to acknowledge my opinions and like it but I was unaware that I was doing that so I thank this book
exactly what you want in a youtuber. no waffle; just straight to the point. excellent video.
I find myself returning again and again to Meditations. There's so much wisdom there. Here is a passage that I jotted down during my latest reread:
" Do external things distract you? Then make time for yourself to learn something worthwhile; stop letting yourself be pulled in all directions. But make sure you guard yourself against the other kind of confusion. People who labor all their lives but have no purpose to direct every thought and impulse toward are wasting their time-even when hard at work."
This speaks to me because I found myself focusing on the wrong things (what other people were doing or saying for example) and it was getting to the point where I felt I was losing myself. Also, I wanted to focus, not just on anything for the sake of staying busy, but on the things most that would be the meaningful to me, and the most helpful.
I recently discovered your videos and realized I had been in a reading slump because I was trying to read things for the wrong reasons. I'm a librarian who orders fiction but tbh I hate most contemporary writers. Being surrounded by people who read a zillion books a year I felt I was the problem. But I am returning to the classics without apology and I am already much happier.
I'm really loving your content Ben, you do great, inspiring work. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing :) That is a powerful instruction for living the good life right there! I used to procrastinate and get distracted a lot too. I had to literally write down on a notecard something to the effect of - "Are you doing what matters to you in this present moment?" and carry it around with me as a reminder for a while. And thank you so much for sharing your reading experience - I have always found librarians, as a collective, to be the most wonderful people. I've had many influential librarians who guided me over the years and I'm tremendously grateful for them! :)
What's the order of reading this series?
@@BenjaminMcEvoyWow, I wish I had come accross you
when I was young. You are amazing. Please keep doing these wonderful videos. 🎉
This quote is a great rebuttal to the unfortunate modern notion that multitasking is useful and a virtue. Neither is true.
The essence of meditations is in 10:16-
"Discourse no more of what a good man should be; but be one."
What a lovely person. I love his heartfelt sincerity!❤
Aw, thank you so much, my friend. I appreciate you! ☺️
Today I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, my own perceptions, not outside. Meditations 9:13
I am realizing more and more each day anxiety is within me. Anxiety is the result of how I think and feel. Almost all circumstances are neutral. How I respond determines my level of anxiety.
Bought it a few weeks back because a few people I know of on social media kept recommending it. For some odd reason, I was expecting it to be in story-format, like a standard literature classic. This in turn threw me off of wanting to read it, sadly. Though this video of yours is giving me energy to hop back into it, with a more appropriate mindset. Thank you for this, and great video!
It would be a cool idea if someone did want to novelise it or fit a narrative around it - I can see the emperor looking out over the misty battlefield! I hope you get something out of it :) Let me know if any of the maxims do it for you!
Stoicism is great because it's such an effective philosophy that the stoics lived it's a proven wait betteryourlife only worry about things you can control that's one of the key elements for me
Think of it as daily notes he would write down to himself no matter what energy he was feeling
As a teacher with responsibility for student discipline, I shared with my students and their parents MA's advice about the difficulty of changing habits, and we use that understanding to prepare a plan to do that one bad habit at a time. It was astonishing how this approach generated cooperation, and I assume it's because we aren't always honest about it, even though everyone knows it's hard to give up bad eating habits, smoking, meeting anger with anger and so on. MA lives on the bedside table, always for times of stress, but also for the pleasure of reading his wise words.
My favourite is Book 8, no. 57 - excellent analogy about the nature of a sunbeam being what the diffusion of thought should be like……’look at light as it falls through a narrow opening into a dark room. It extends in a straight line, striking any solid object that stands in its way and blocks the space beyond it.’ And then…‘that’s what the outpouring-the diffusion-of thought should be like: not emptied out, but extended. And not striking at obstacles with fury and violence, or falling away before them, but holding its ground and illumination what receives it. What doesn’t transmit light creates its own darkness.’
"Dwell on the beauty of life, watch the stars and see yourself running with them"
While i can quote 100s of meditations this is the one i find most relevant to the times I'm going through right now. I also wrote a poem containing this quote recently.
I like this because it reminds me to take a break, it reminds me that how miniscule my time here on earth is and that makes me calm and all the worries seem to go away at the thought of this.
Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing, Faizan. Looking up at the stars reminds me simultaneously of my significance and insignificance. I don't do it nearly enough, but as you say - it's calming and worries melt away.
that quote is actually from Epictetus recited in the Meditations. Im only mentioning this just in case you haven’t looked into Epictetus and his Discourses written by his pupil Arrian
1. Set an intention for reading Meditations
2. Read fast first, then read it again thoughtfully
3. Apply each meditation in your life
Its so well written. Never hear anything on that. His phrasing and writing style is so high quality and literarily well done. So suited to his message. So much style and care in the way its conveyed. Of course his points are the main thing but what a writer he was...
12:19
"Perceive at last that thou hast in thee something better and more divine than the things which cause the various affects, and as it were pull thee by the strings. What is there now in my mind? is it fear, or suspicion, or desire, or anything of the kind?"
I often think of this quote whenever I feel a more primal, uncontrolled emotion take hold of me. The quote has two lessons: first, keep in mind that I am in control of my life, which is an extraordinary gift in itself and that I need to be grateful for it. Second, it forces me to ponder what and why I am feeling at that given moment. I believe that this short passage, one of the last he wrote, is the best distillation of his philosophy Marcus wrote.
Another amazing one 😍 I've been getting to know about Marcus Aurelius and stoicism recently and decided to check out the book and here you've already made a video about it. It really helped, thank you very much!
Also, I don't think I was reading much before coming across your channel or even if I ever read it was done on a very surface level but after watching the way you read and appreciate books I think I've been trying to do the same. Not reading books just for entertainment but really using it to better myself. Idk if that made sense but yeah... your content has given me a lot to ponder upon and for that I'm forever grateful. Thank you so much!
Thank you for reminding me of this book and given me precious advice how to make proper use of the wisdom it provides me with. I followed your guidance and had a quick read, bird‘s-eyes perspective. Love this expression. I found the one that stood out as it opens me a way to deal with a problem that often worries me. My rage towards people who waste my time which I feel is so limited. A rage that makes me say words and act in a manner that thereafter causes me shame and remorse and more energy and time to rebalance myself and fix the harm and shock I’ve caused in others.
So here’s the quote from the second book, first paragraph:
‘To act against one another then is contrary to nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away.’
Beautiful. This is one of my personal favourites too. I find these incredibly difficult to implement, but, hey, if in the pursuit of this way of living, one attains even a fraction of what one wishes - that's likely good enough :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy right you are, easy to understand, easy to agree, very difficult to implement. Probably loads of training and several fall-backs into engrained unhelpful habits.
Thanks for the stellar video, as usual! One meditation have been striking me for ages... I can't help finding it... puzzling.
'The universal nature out of the universal substance, as if it were
wax, now moulds a horse, and when it has broken this up, it uses the
material for a tree, then for a man, then for something else; and
each of these things subsists for a very short time. But it is no
hardship for the vessel to be broken up, just as there was none in
its being fastened together.'
Enjoying reading this. Love its urgency and there are so many beautiful passages although I think many of them are a counsel of perfection. Also not sure I'm suited to the austerity of life as a Stoic. One of the meditations that resonated most for me:
"Death and life, fame and ignominy, pain and pleasure, wealth and poverty - all these come to good and bad alike, but they are not in themselves either right or wrong, neither then are they inherent good or evil"
I can't say I'm suited to the austere lifestyle either. Minimalism? Yes. Complete Spartanism and stripping away of all luxuries? Perhaps I'd pass... Great quote, Emma, thank you for sharing and I hope you're keeping well :)
I too underline and highlight passages in the book. In addition, I have filled the flyleaf and the margins with outside wisdoms. IE Hemmingway's quote: There is no nobility in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility is being superior to your former self. Or my own: Compliments are free to give and priceless to get. Make someone rich today. I have quotes from all over the world and they are all over my book.
Just a note to say thank you, you've got me excited about books i never thought id be excited to about. I find your talks very relaxing, and i always find them helping me in one way or another!
Enjoyed your video. I’m halfway through Meditations, and have found it a hard read. I will apply some of your advice how to get the most out of it. My plan before watching your vid was to highlight sections and break it down. Nice to see that was your approach too. Thanks for posting.
Thank you :) It's definitely a hard read, so it's great you have a plan going into it. Highlighting is a wonderful idea! Let me know any golden nuggets you discover, my friend!
Hey Ben. I’ve been following the Stoics for maybe five years now, so imagine my excitement when I saw that you made a video on Meditations. My favorite part of Marcus’ writings is that, as you mentioned, he never intended them to be read by anyone other than himself. That, to me, lends them an authenticity that you don’t get from a lot of other self-help books or what have you.
On another note, you’ve single-handedly turned me on to Keats and the other Romantics. I’ve long had a (huge) blind spot regarding poetry and indeed classical literature in general. I visited Verbatim books in San Diego the other day and picked up Keats’ complete works of poetry, and then ordered his letters on Amazon. I’m loving both. If you’re ever in Southern California, I’d love to show you the local bookstores!
A daily read. I've been reading the same translation for years but recently got hold of a few different ones. I read a verse every day. When I get to the end of my dog eared copy (again!) next time I will read a different translation. “Bear in mind that the measure of a man is the worth of the things he cares about.” I also dip into Epictetus daily.
That's a beautiful one, Adam. Thank you for sharing! I also dip into Epictetus daily :)
I know this video is 3 years old but I wish we could do a read along and then you give your input and thoughts about what we read.... I like the way you explained what you thought the words were conveying.
Mine is: “You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.”
I read the Meditations last year and my mind was strongly and positively impacted. The Waterfield translation I bought is fully annotated and has a great introduction. I recommend it.
I found this very helpful! I recently was given a collection of his mediations, and I haven’t read these kind of books before. Your video has helped break it down and made it seem less intimidating. Thanks for uploading this :)
Hi Benjamin,
Abhijith Maneesh from India, 17 y/o
I've found out that at this age period of what I'm going through, greed, envy, anxiety, depression, comparisons, criticism, ego, narcissism, etc is being embedded to our mind by influences... Ive been challenged so many times and I still have each of the qualities that I've mentioned above. But I tend to be better by removing those with good ones.
Meditation by Marcus
Holy Bhagvat Gita and many more religious books have answers that we may not find them in our first read.
Yes we exists and this video is helpful
Book 7; 64
For times when you feel pain:
See that it doesn't disgrace you, or degrade your intelligence - doesn't keep it from acting rationally or unselfishly.
And in most cases what Epicurus said should help: that pain is neither unbearable nor unending, as long as you keep in mind its limits and don't magnify them in your imagination.
This reminds me of DFW's "This is Water". Also, the Stoics and Buddhists may well have been in contact, their beliefs are similar and the time period is right. I love the wisdom displayed in this video and I mean the wisdom of doing all this reading of literature. I mean to try and read these great books until my brain or my death stops me. Thanks Benjamin!
You’re correct that Meditations is a highly practical book, but it’s also so much more than that. It’s fundamentally spiritual, a work of metaphysics, philosophy, and ethics all at one - there’s a tendency these days to reduce it to a self help manual.
What people often forget is not only were the books written for himself, they were written to be destroyed - historically he destroyed his journals when returning from campaign, and these are merely the ones left after he past while on his last campaign. there was so much more to the man than this snap shot, and they are useful 'conversations' with the man rather than how he would approach trying to teach you. You are looking over a great mans shoulder, and if you remember that, the style makes more sense.
Wow. Fascinating insight. Thank you so much for sharing this. Really puts the whole book into perspective. Can you imagine if we possessed those lost notebooks now? What wisdom is lost to the ages?
@@BenjaminMcEvoy what I like to think is this - a man who was under such pressure, who couldn't be seen as weak, as anything less than a god, saw so much value in self reflection, in acknowledging his anxiety and reflecting on it. Just shows how important that self knowledge is.
Wow to imagine how much has been lost is s bit sad
This was awesome. I so needed this this morning. Thank you.
I'm so happy to hear that :) Thank you so much for watching!
Thank you for providing this valuable insight and guidance.
You're so welcome, my friend. Thank you for watching!
Thankyou so much for making my day!
You're so welcome :) Thank you for being here, Sara!
Great video! I’m currently reading meditations and this was helpful🙏🏼 it felt a little bit overwhelming before to be honest, but I understand now that I have to approach the book with the right mindset
Thank you, my friend :) I totally relate with that!
Thank you for your help & insight on the book Benjamin!
Loved the video. Just got the book and am new to philosophy in general but this surely cleared up a lot on how I can go through it. Even made me excited to start applying it to my own life😊
Most people's bad day is usually just a bad moment in a day. Best to recognize this and move forward.
"universe, your harmony is my harmony. nothing in your good time is too early or too late for me. Nature, all that your season brings is fruit to me: all comes from you, exists in you, returns to you..."
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing :)
I read the Meditations in June and four lessons stood out: accepting what's outside of your control and focusing on what you can control (your own self); being mindful of the impermanence of life; seeing reality as it is without our personal biases, assumptions, and opinions getting in the way; and advice on dealing with people and having proper expectations from them.
Many of the lessons resonate heavily with eastern ideas. For e.g. looking at reality as it is; that is, coincidently, the aim of meditation in the east as well (quieting the mind and seeing reality for what it is). Mindfully going through suffering in life. Being mindful of impermanence. These are similar to Buddhist ideas. Accepting what the Universe (or God/Logos) does to you without question. This is similar to Bhakti Yoga in Hinduism and similar to even ideas in Abrahamic religions like Islam (surrendering to the will of God). The ideas of Logos is also similar to Karma. "Doing as your nature demands" is similar to the Hindu idea of doing your Dharma. It would take too long to list and find them all.
There are passages in each page that I have marked, but since you asked for one I would quote this simple yet effective advice from the Gregory Hays' translation, Book 2 : 16.
"The human soul degrades itself:
i. Above all, when it does its best to become an abscess, a kind of detached growth on the world. To be disgruntles at anything that happens is a kind of secession from Nature, which compromises the nature of all things.
ii. When it turns its back on another person or sets out to do it harm, as the souls of the angry do.
iii. When it is overpowered by pleasure or pain.
iv. When it puts on a mask and does or say something artificial or false.
v. When it allows its action and impulse to be without a purpose, to be random and disconnected: even the smallest things ought to be directed toward a goal. But the goal of rational beings is to follow the rule and law of the most ancient of communities and states."
How soon will time cover all things, and how many it has already covered?
Love your channel, Benjamin, I've just finished a 'rapid read' of 'Meditations'. I haven't thought this much about a book since I left school😄, a tremendous read.
One thing that I have pondered whilst reading it that I struggle to reconcile: MA seems to advocate the 'lassé faire' approach to events occurring, writing that they will happen regardless if you know they're coming or not. What about when you encounter injustice or intimidation of others? Surely you can't stand by and watch it happen? Yes, it may be beyond our control, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't act. It reminds me of British foreign policy in the 1930s, and we all know how that turned out!
Very helpful information, thank you!
I just discovered you. You're terrific! Thank you!.
Thank you!
Another good introduction to a work of Art and Literature.
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.”
This vid is rlly good, thank u❤
Thank you! 😊
Hii Benjamin..God bless you dear...it's Vipsanna by buddha.. I follow this meditation....
Wow love the video! A big fan of Stoicism (read all books from Ryan Holiday, even joined his Daily Stoic Life club)
But somehow I always stuck at Meditation. It has been sitting on my bedside for a very long time already! But I always stop after book 1 for no reason~
Just a side note. "On the Shortness of Life" by Seneca is my absolute favourite by far. Just challenge the way you live your life deeply! I believe Ben you have read it as well! If not please do check it out. Cheers~
Very nice! I had the Daily Stoic journal a few years back and have been reading Seneca for a while now :) I would highly recommend simply skipping that first book and diving into book two, three, or four - or simply opening it at a random page and seeing what meditation leaps out at you!
Great ! Benjamin, as always. " ΕΝΔΟΝ ΣΚΑΠΤΕ, ΕΝΔΟΝ Η ΠΗΓΗ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΑΘΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΕΙ ΑΝΑΒΛΥΕΙΝ ΔΥΝΑΜΕΝΗ, ΕΑΝ ΑΕΙ
ΣΚΑΠΤΕΙΣ". "ΤΑ ΕΙΣ ΕΑΥΤΟΝ". Markus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. A Greek friend, Demetrios Maniates.
What’s bad for the hive is bad for the bee. Book 6 meditation 54
Good introduction Ben, thanks. BTW, which translation would you recommend?
Thank you, my friend! I personally love the Robin Hard translation the most in Oxford World's Classics edition :)
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.
Beautiful, and so true.
"The wind scatters one year's leaves on the ground...so it is with so many generations of men" Book 10, stanza 34
Can't you see the Emperor standing still, silently looking around in thought in field of dead bodies, both Roman soldiers and enemy, thinking this to himself?
Book 6 Verse 18
Really great video, you got a new sub 😅
I write it down in my journal. And read and re-read again and again...
Book 5 , 1st mediation
BOOK 2 - (6)
Yes, keep on degrading yourself, soul. But soon YOUR CHANCE AT DIGNITY WILL BE GONE. Everyone gets one life. Yours is almost used up, and instead of treating yourself with respect, you have entrusted your own happiness to the souls of others.
Just amazing,
Choose not to be harmed- and you won't feel harmed. Don't feel harmed and you haven't been.That is my favorite. I have two difference translations of meditations. They are both different than yours. Do you have a recommended translation?
Beautiful one. Reminds me of Eleanor Roosevelt's quote - "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." My personal favourite translation is by Robin Hard, available in Oxford World's Classics, but I also like Maxwell Staniforth's, available in Penguin Great Ideas :)
"This is what you deserve. You could be good today, but instead you choose tomorrow."
great vid
Thank you, my friend!
Fantastic video
Good stuff but I prefer Epictetus. His Discourses are more of an investment but definitely worth the trouble. Something for a future review?
Epictetus is great - definitely worth a future review :)
id like you to read Thirukural, its a non religious book intended to spread wisdom.
Thank you, my friend! I'll check it out :)
Yes.. you should try to read thirukural.. ancient poem. It has meaning for everything we need in life.
"As a horse when he has run, a dog when he has tackled the game, a bee when it has made the honey, so a man when he has done a good act does not call out for others to come and see, but he goes on to another act, as a vine goes on to produce again the grapes in season"
18:33 to 19:12
Can you share the link for book 2 ..
Book 2 number 4
Gregory hays translation
Hi folks 👋 A number stand out for me so will ponder and then declare one later 📚
Has anyone read / listened to How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson? Fascinating book on the life of Marcus ✊👊
Hi Eriks :) I actually got this one on audiobook a couple of weeks ago. It's read well by the author. I've only had a chance to listen to the first chapter but loving the historical context so far. Well worth an Audible credit!
I wish there was an easier translation of the book. Id love to read it in English but its too hard for me so I need to look words up many times. Dont know if its a hard book for native english speakers too or not!
I think it depends on the translation. The most recent Penguin edition isn't very good - I had to stop reading it. Whoever translates the Oxford University Press or pocket penguin/great ideas series is good though.
You never step in the same river twice
You know I'm currently 16 years old and i stared meditations but didn't understand it quite clearly , could you like say how to read it on like a basic reader level, as i am beginner to reading such complex philosophy books
Reminds me of Einstein who would visualize himself riding on a beam of light.
I don't know if it's because of my level of reading, but I found this book so hard to get through. Whether it was that names he mentioned that took me out of the book or just words I constantly had to look up as I was trying to power through a page. I found myself exhausted after every page. Such a hard time reading
You should find a different translation. Even then you can't read it like any other book. You have to process it.
At dawn when you have trouble getting out of bed tell yourself, I have to go to work as a human being, what do I have to complain of if I am going to do what I was born for.
I return to this one a lot! Superb mindset advice :)
I’m about to read discourses… would a similar approach talked about in this video bear fruit?
Great work :) Yes, 100% the same approach would apply well!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy brilliant, thanks
Would you be able to link the podcast / video that you made to follow this?
V. 9.
You really should lecture in literature
Could you tell me which translation this is? I'm having a lot of trouble with the george long translation.
Absolutely, this one is the Maxwell Staniforth translation (in Penguin), but my personal favourite is the Robin Hard in the Oxford World's Classics. Both are great :)
To be deaf of malicious gossip book 1 mediation 5
« When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can't tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own-not of the same blood or birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. »
book ll
I work in public service, you have no idea how this quotes change my point of view. I expected others being logical and in control. Everything changes when I accept people are not like that at all
A man's life is like a dog tied to a wagon . When the wagon starts moving it's gonna run with it Either it's gonna be dragged by it.
Many grains of incense on the same altar. One falls to ash first. Another later: No difference.