Marcus Aurelius Has Given Us Some of the Best Life Advice

Who doesn’t love a good podcast?

I can laugh at the comedy news quiz, polish up on my French, mais oui, get excited about the latest investment tip that will pay for my new Ferrari, or discover that sciency thing that is going to turn water into energy— it’s easy, apparently, all you need a transponder thingummy.

And when I get fed up with those, I’ll search for something different to listen to. I came across Meditations by Marcus Aurelius — People are always quoting Marcus Aurelius and his meditations. I thought I might learn a thing or two.

Maybe Marcus isn't as good as he is cracked up to be

I listened to his life advice and it started off good, I nodded my head when I was told:

Marcus learned good morals and the government of his temper from his grandfather. Modesty and a manly character from his father. From his mother, piety, beneficence and abstinence — not just from evil deeds, mind you, but also from evil thoughts.

It was going well. And then this:

“…and not to breed quails for fighting.”

“…and to have desired a plank bed…”

“…and not to walk about in my house in my outdoor dress, nor to do other things of the kind.”

I wonder what kind of relationship he had with his friend Alexander the Platonic because this is what he learned from him:

“…do not write in a letter that I have no leisure or allege urgent occupations.”

“…I observed that he thought as he spoke and he never showed amazement or surprise and was never in a hurry, not did he ever laugh to disguise his vexation.”

Haha, what does that mean, I wonder?

And in thanks to the Gods,

“…further, I am thankful to the Gods that I was not longer brought up with my grandfather's concubine and that I preserved the flower of my youth and that I did not make proof of my virility before the proper season.”

Well, that got odd rather quickly.

Marcus moved on to his own musings. Life advice from a dead Roman — what better way to start your day?

“Begin the morning by saying to thyself, ‘I shall meet with the busybody, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious and antisocial…’”

Ah, now that sounds like where I work. Just goes to prove the old saying, ‘There’s nothing new under the sun.” Was that one our your sayings, Marcus? I listened on:

“This thou must always bear in mind. What is the nature of the hole and what is my nature and how this is related to that and what kind of a part it is of what kind of a hole and that there is no-one that hinders thee from always doing and saying the things which are according to the nature of which thou art a part.”

I’m kinda thinking that should read ‘whole’ not ‘hole’. But still! Seriously Mr Aurelius?

And finally:

“And finally, waiting for death with a cheerful mind as being nothing else than a dissolution of the elements of which every living being is compounded. But if there is no harm to the elements themselves and each continually changing into another, why should a man have any apprehension about the change and dissolution of all the elements for it is according to nature, nothing is evil which is according to nature.”

Now, this wasn’t new to me. I’d come across this before. Marcus wasn’t the only one who had a grandfather who passed on wisdom — although mine had a broad Scottish accent, the sentiments were the same.

“When you’re dead, your dead. No point worrying about it.” — My Granddad.

Thanks, Granddad.