A stoical mind

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Category: Connect

Published: Thursday, 28 November 2019 11:33

Written by Cherry

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The philosophy of Marcus Aurelius (121 -180 C.E) can be found in his collection of writings called ''Meditations'. They reflect the influence of Stoicism, especially of Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher.

Here is a sample:

'Say to yourself first thing in the morning: today I shall meet people who are meddling, ungrateful, aggressive, treacherous, malicious, unsocial. All this has afflicted them through their ignorance of true good and evil. But I have seen that the nature of good is what is right, and the nature of evil what is wrong: and I have reflected that the nature of the offender himself is akin to my own - not a kinship of blood or seed, but a sharing in the same mind, the same fragment of divinity. Therefore I cannot be harmed by any of them, as none of them will infect me with their wrong. Nor can I be angry with my kinsman or hate him. We were born for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of upper and lower teeth. So to work in opposition to one another is against nature: and anger or rejection is opposition.'(P. 10)

A quote for our times?