While reading the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, I saved some passages using Readwise that I would like to share here.
I have grouped the quotes according to the topic. You are reading about life and death and there is about life and emotions and about life and ethics, too.
As a Roman emperor and Stoic, Marcus Aurelius is known for his thoughts and life wisdom, which still inspire many people today. His reflections on life, death, and human nature are definetely timeless.
7 quotes about life and death
But death and life, fame and lack of glory, suffering and joy, wealth and poverty and all of these are granted to good and bad people without distinction, as things that constitute neither moral advantages nor moral defects: therefore they are neither good nor evil (neither a blessing nor a misfortune).
Agreed. Does that mean you should withdraw from your emotional assumptions? I guess so: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” ~ Shakespeare
So we have to think about two things: firstly, that everything is essentially the same and follows the same course, and that it makes no difference whether one sees one and the same thing for a hundred or two hundred years or forever. And then that even those who have lived the longest only lose the same as those who die very young. Because it is only the now that one can be deprived of, because this is the only thing one possesses, and no one can lose what he does not have.
You can only lose, what you possess. In your opinion, is it worse if a 20-year-old or an 80-year-old dies? Why is that important? Can you step back from your reasoning and look at the issue without emotionality?
Death is the rest from the contradictions of sense perceptions, from the stirrings of our passions, from the developments of our mind and from the service of the flesh
Death as a form of liberation. Interesting. Have you ever thought about how death feels (if that makes sense…)? Try to feel it if you haven’t.
Soon everything will be with you and soon you will be forgotten by everyone.
I feel this is very liberating and pressuring at the same time. What do you feel by understanding this?
Whatever you do, ask yourself if death is so terrible because it robs you of it.
I wonder if you are afraid of death…if so, why? If not, why not?
Think of the nature of the body and soul in which you must let death take hold of you, as well as the shortness of life, the immeasurable time behind you and in front of you, the frailty of every substance.
…and
Always remind yourself of those who were too sad about something or who caused a great stir through misfortunes, enmities, the greatest positions of honor or other fortunate circumstances. Then present your reflection with the question: “Where is all this now?” It’s smoke and ashes, a fairy tale or not even a fairy tale.
You are dust. I am dust. An eye blink of the universe. Noone cares.
All quotes used in this post come from the work “The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius”. This book, also known as Self-Contemplations, was written by Emperor Marcus Aurelius and is a collection of personal notes and philosophical reflections. It is one of the most important works of Stoic philosophy.