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Marcus Aurelius quotes

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“If it is not right, do not do it: if it is not true, do not say it.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like the wrong doer.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live according to nature.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Whatever any one does or says, I must be emerald and keep my colour.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Confine thyself to the present.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“For the present is the only thing of which a man can be deprived, if it is true that this is the only thing which he has, and that a man cannot lose a thing if he has it not. Remember that all is opinion.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“How ridiculous and what a stranger he is who is surprised at anything which happens in life.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“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 whether he choose or not.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“The universe is transformation: life is opinion.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Be cheerful also, and seek not external help nor the tranquility which others give. A man then must stand erect, not be kept erect by others.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Death is a cessation of the impressions through the senses, and of the pulling of the strings which move the appetites, and of the discursive movements of the thoughts, and of the service to the flesh.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“We must make haste then, not only because we are daily nearer to death, but also because the conception of things and the understanding of them cease first.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Through not observing what is in the mind of another a man has seldom been seen to be unhappy; but those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Be like the promontory against which the waves continually break, but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“That which is not good for the swarm, neither is it good for the bee.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Retire into thyself. The rational principle which rules has this nature, that it is content with itself when it does what is just, and so secures tranquility.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“There is no nature which is inferior to art, for the arts imitate the nature of things.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Thou art a little soul bearing about a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Men exist for the sake of one another. Teach them then or bear with them.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“If gods care not for me and for my children, there is a reason for it.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“On the occasion of every act ask thyself, How is this with respect to me? Shall I repent of it? A little time and I am dead, and all is gone.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Neither worse then nor better is a thing made by being praised.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“That which is really beautiful has no need of anything; not more than law, not more than truth, not more than benevolence or modesty.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“For it is according to nature, and nothing is evil which is according to nature.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“The intelligence of the universe is social.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“the memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed in time.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Think not so much of what thou hast not as of what thou hast” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Accustom thyself as much as possible on the occasion of anything being done by any person to inquire with thyself, for what object is this man doing this? But begin with thyself, and examine thyself first.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“It is a ridiculous thing for a man not to fly from his own badness, which is indeed possible, but to fly from other men's badness, which is impossible.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“He who has seen present things has seen all, both everything which has taken place from all eternity and everything which will be for time without end; for all things are of one kin and of one form.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“It is not right to vex ourselves at things, for they care nought about it.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

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man nature present goodness action opinion death others good life self evil reason bearing frustration truth revenge speech fear gossip

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Meditations (37)