3 learnings from Marcus Aurelius

Recently I read Marcus Aurelius' meditations.

Here are my 3 key takeaways:

1. Acceptance.

Whatever happens in life, always ask yourself this question: is this in my control or not? And if it isn't, why would you even have an opinion about it? You don't need to have an opinion about the weather, e.g., because you can't control it anyway.

2. Perspective.

Every millisecond, endless things happen on this planet. Who are we to judge them as good or bad? In the first place, things are neither positive nor negative. They just are.

3. Sense of life.

The sense of life needs the observations that (1) we could die tomorrow, that (2) our lifespan is endlessly short, and that (3) our lives are endlessly unimportant. Within the next thousands or millions of years, even the biggest thinkers of our time will be forgotten. This realization frees us from caring too much about our reputation and worries about other people's opinions.

Like most great wisdom, stoicism is simple but not easy. I am FAR from achieving ANY of those three virtues. But realizing that a man 2.000 years ago might have struggled with similar doubts and worries (even when facing very different circumstances) is kind of reassuring.

Have you already read any book about stoicism?

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