Thursday 9 July 2009

Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was emporer of Rome from 161 AD until his death in 180. Towards the end of his life he studied Stoic philosophy which emphasised the control of human emotions and wrote many of his reflections down in the 'Meditations' during his stay in the Danube region.

"Do away with all fancies. Cease to be passion's puppet. Limit time to the present. Learn to recognise every experience for what it is, whether ut be your own or another's. Divide and classify the objects of sense into cause and matter. Meditate upon your last hour. Leave your neighbour's wrong doing to rest with him who initiated it."

"Put from you the belief that "I have been wronged", and with it will go the feeling. Reject your sense of injury, and the injury itself disappears."


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