Meditations by Marcus Aurelius – Book Notes

Let’s explore the Stoic principles of virtue and resilience as I share my notes on the timeless wisdom found within the pages of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations.

Note: I’m a type of person that prefers extracting key lessons rather than delving into the finer details of experiences. That’s why I focus on capturing the essence of a piece.

In other words: this is not a book review, not a summary, and not necessarily quotes.

Just condensed notes or interpretations for myself.

My Notes from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

After reading the book and structuring my most relevant takeaways, I divided them into these categories, although there are overlaps between each:

Living a Purposeful and Happy Life

This topic is prevalent in Stoic writings, and what distinguishes these notes is their focus on the subjective experience of events.

• Very little is needed to make a happy life. It is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
• Perfection of character is to live each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, without apathy, without pretence.
• Don’t procrastinate, don’t be confusing in your articulations, don’t wander and fantasize.
• Let negative emotions be a trigger reminding you that life is short and we’ll soon be gone.
• Don’t spend the rest of your life worrying (about other people). It will keep you from doing anything useful.

Being Good

The next set of notes are focused on “being good”, both in isolation and as a social being:

• Just be good. It’s in your and everyone’s best interest.
• You should have such thoughts that, if someone asks you what are you thinking now, you’d be able to state it clearly. That means it’s simple and well-intended.
• Kindness is invincible, but only when it’s sincere. What can a someone with bad intentions do to you if you’re good?
• You can never be sure if people are wrong or made mistakes. All things happen due to infinitely entangled set of circumstances.
• Avoid conceit, prevent urges, suppress desires.

Acting in Accordance with Our Nature

I especially found value in the concept of all things “acting in accordance with their nature”.

• Observe what your nature requires. Then do it and accept it.
• Don’t applaud the mountains for being beautiful. Don’t get mad at the parasites for fulfilling their ecological roles. Everything is what it is.
• You shouldn’t do anything unwillingly, selfishly, uncritically, or against your natural inclinations.
• Let others’ tongues and actions be what they are, my business is to be good. Imagine as if you were an emerald – the world can act as it pleases, you need to keep your color.
• What do you expect in return if you did a good deed to someone? Isn’t it enough for you that you acted in accordance with your nature? Or you’re looking for a reward? The legs don’t ask for a reward for walking. The reward is that they’re performing their function.

A Final Quote

And I’ll end with one of the most important quotes:

“No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to be, but be such.”

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