22 Stoic Principles to Live By – Marcus Aurelius Meditations Summarised

1. When you encounter unkindness
– Criticism from others: Either they’re right so you have no right to complain or they’re wrong so they’re misguided and made a mistake. No matter what anyone says or does, my task is to be good.
– If someone has broken your trust, it is your responsibility. This is to be expected every now and then.
– It harms your soul if you do evil in return. The noblest kind of retribution is not to be like your enemy.
Related: How to Handle Criticism and Negativity

2. Everything depends on how you interpret it
– It is easy to wipe away troublesome impressions and immediately be in tranquility.
– Your mind will take shape of what you frequently hold in thought.

3. Your mind should sit superiour to your body and its sensations
– Do not allow pain, loss of appetite, etc to alter your behaviour. If you do, remind yourself: I’m giving in to pain.
– If you return to your principles and worship of reason you will appear a god.

4. Stay mindful and take deliberate accounts
– No random actions, all based on underlying principles.

5. Don’t retreat from the world
– Think of all beings as part of one, then helping others will be a joy and not just the right thing to do.
– Nobody has really hurt you, they’re human too and act out of ignorance.
– Contemplate their positive qualities.

6. Your opinion of yourself matters more than the opinion of a stranger
– We love ourselves more than others but care more about their opinions than our own.
– You don’t need to explain yourself to anyone.
– Ask yourself what difference it makes and the difference it makes in the grand scheme of things.

7. Be open to correction
– You take power since the action is based on your own will.

8. Cherish the freedom and libery of everyone
– Be in the mind of the speaker.
– Take care not to be dyed with this dye.

9. Have some self respect
– Don’t break a promise, lose your self-respect or hate anyone.

10. Avoid complaining
– Do it and don’t complain or get someone to help you.

11. The obstacle is the way
– How can the impediment help you?
– What stands in the way becomes the way.

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12. Adversity is part of nature
– Why not rather pray for the gift of welcoming adversity or not to fear it.

13. It’s through adversity that we get stronger
– This is not a misforture, it makes me stronger.

14. Everything has happened before
– Our business is with things that matter.

15. Stay practical and deal with what’s in front of you
– Do fewer things better.
– Do it like it was the last thing you were going to do.
– Focus in what you can bring forth.
Related: The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan

16. Focus on doing what is right and be prepared to face resistance
– If it is not right, don’t do it. If it’s not true, don’t say it.
– Move from one unselfish action to the next.
– Ambition is tying your well-being to what other people say or do. Sanity is tying it to your own actions.

17. Do your duty and despise cowardice

18. Life is short and death comes to us all, that means the time for action is now
– Decide today to start taking action.
– Think of yourself as dead.
– Cease the day.

19. Practice getting back on track
– If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself and try again.
– Get back up and fail again.
– Don’t be proud or show off.

20. Look beneath to see things for what they truly are
– Expensive wine is just grape juice and purple robes are sheep wool dyed with shellfish blood.
– Why would you take praise from a man who curses himself 3 times every hour? How can you please a man who can’t please himself?
– Speak the truth but with kindness and humility.

21. Recognise that material wealth is neither a good nor an evil
– Treat what you have as non-existent.

22. Express gratitude
– Build your own character, invest in your own education.
– Don’t waste time on frivolous matters.
– The steadiness of purpose, using reason and not letting emotion cloud judgement.
– Indifference to superficial honours.
– Etc, etc

To stop talking about what a the good man is like and just be one…

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