370+ (BEST) Meditations Marcus Aurelius Quotes About Life, Love & Death
Who was Marcus Aurelius?
Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor of Rome from AD 161 to AD 180, and the last of the Five Good Emperors. He was a Stoic philosopher and is now commonly considered one of the greatest emperors in history. Marcus was born on April 26, 121, as the heir to the throne of the Roman empire.
As an Emperor, he spent his time on campaigns across the Empire, which had been in a state of decline since the reign of Septimius Severus. He is also known for the many letters that he addressed to himself, but which were published after his death under the title Meditations.
He was a philosopher, statesman, and writer. He was an advocate for tolerance and wrote much on this subject. He was also an excellent military strategist.
Meditations Marcus Aurelius Quotes
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have. Marcus Aurelius
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.
“The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.
“We are shaped by the ideas of our culture.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.
“To be greatest is to be at peace with yourself and those around you.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.
“I have decided to stick with love; hate is too great a burden to bear.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations .
“Inspire others to be better than they are themselves .”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.
“I have learned that all men fear pain – some more than others.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“The first step in self-grown spirituality is recognizing what’s within our power and what isn’t.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Just as a human being has the power of moving the trunk and limbs according to his will, so let him have the power to move his character according to his will.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Keep as your model in behavior that which you would be if you were already what you desire to be.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Your position is not determined by what it is in itself, but solely by your own consent and opinion about it.”-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“If you would not feel the things you must feel, do not feel them.”-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Many things are in our power and yet powerless to us; we are prisoners of our own wishes and desires.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Man is by nature a political animal.” ‘- Aristotle
“To be greatest is to be at peace with yourself and those around you.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Wish for yourself what you would wish for another if they were in your situation.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“We are shaped by the ideas of our culture.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“We cannot move forward without cultivating the mind that moves humanity toward freedom and self-mastery.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“There can be no relaxation of a single muscle when one is preparing for an assault.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“You cannot force the good, but you can refuse to let evil conquer you.”- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“One thing is needful: to love what is before us in the present moment, and not to be frightened by what may be behind us.” -Marcus Aurelius
“It’s one thing to show courage and confidence when you’re on the bushel and quite another when you’re at your own harvest.”-Marcus Aurelius
Each of us needs what nature gives us, when nature gives it. Marcus Aurelius
“Life is tough. Life is a war, and it’s either kill or be killed.”- Marcus Aurelius
“There’s no need to feel lonely as you go through life, because in reality you’ve always got two half-members of a team walking with you. You’ve got your own reason to be there and to keep going.” -Marcus Aurelius
“It is a bad thing to charge ahead and break ranks, or leave ranks behind without orders.”-Marcus Aurelius
“If you would not feel the things you must feel, do not feel them.” -Marcus Aurelius
“I have been driven as far as I need to be driven, and I know that Alexander is my master.” -Marcus Aurelius
“There is nothing more fearful than ignorance in action.” – Marcus Aurelius
“It is better to obey the laws than lose your life for obeying them.” – Marcus Aurelius
“We must turn our minds from worldly affairs and set them on things eternal, so that we may, like free fountains, refresh our memory of the pure sea of wisdom.” -Marcus Aurelius
“Such is the nature of man that he is always ungrateful for benefits received and grateful for those which are not yet denied him.”-Marcus Aurelius
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” -Marcus Aurelius
“An untamed animal is the most dangerous of all.”- Marcus Aurelius
“Frequently consider the rapidity with which things pass by and are gone, both the things which are and which are to be.” -Marcus Aurelius
“Make it a rule always to think positively about yourself and your life.”-Marcus Aurelius
“Learn how to live in this world as though you were dying, so that when you do die, you will be ready.” -Marcus Aurelius
“Never let your judgments be distorted by the opinions of men.”-Marcus Aurelius
“What a man thinks about himself is more important than what other people think about him.” -Marcus Aurelius
“We cannot change what we do not see in our minds’s eye.” – Marcus Aurelius
He who follows reason in all things is both tranquil and active at the same time, and also cheerful and collected. Marcus Aurelius
“Wise people have the shortest words.” – Marcus Aurelius
“An idle mind is no less dangerous than an idle body; we should keep both busy.” – Marcus Aurelius
“If you have any spare time, practice being kind to someone who’s not expecting it…It’s amazing what a little kindness can do.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The enlightened man does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. Stop wishing for things like everyone else wishes for them, and start asking yourself if you can’t do without them.” – Marcus Aurelius
“We cannot command Nature except by obeying her.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Accept whatever comes to you woven in the pattern of your destiny—and remember that what we suffer from without, we suffer from within our own selves.” -Marcus Aurelius
“The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.”― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Best Marcus Aurelius Quotes
“Do every act of your life as if it were your last.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”—Marcus Aurelius
“The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” — Marcus Aurelius
“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it. ” — Marcus Aurelius
“It is the mind that makes us rich. We are what we think.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care not to entertain any thought that is mean and unworthy of you.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Do every act of your life as if it were your last. You must die: but must you die lamenting? Must you not wait for death with a cheerful mind, and ready to say, ‘If this is death, I am ready for it’?—so that dying, you may be born to a new and better life.” — Marcus Aurelius
“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be encountering people who are meddling, ungrateful, aggressive, treacherous, malicious, unsaved and selfish. ” — Marcus Aurelius
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” –Marcus Aurelius
“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together…” –Marcus Aurelius
“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” –Marcus Aurelius
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”—Marcus Aurelius
“As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they slay us for their sport.” –Marcus Aurelius
“The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“Remember that the words you speak will be used against you.” — Marcus Aurelius
“There is nothing more difficult than to maintain the consistency of our thoughts and purpose.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We cannot move forward without cultivating the mind that moves humanity toward freedom and self-mastery.”―Marcus Aurelius
“I am a man who has seen war with my own eyes; I have the experience and knowledge, and I am not afraid of speaking about its horrors.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Wish for yourself what you would wish for another if they were in your situation.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“One who conquers himself is greater than one who conquers a city.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We cannot move forward without cultivating the mind that moves humanity toward freedom and self-mastery.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Be like the rock against which the waves constantly break: it stands firm and tames the fury of the sea.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“While we are postponing, life speeds by.”― Marcus Aurelius
“If you would not feel the things you must feel, do not feel them.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We all have within us wings to fly with.” — Marcus Aurelius
“You cannot think too much or too little.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“It is a bad thing to charge ahead and break ranks, or leave ranks behind without orders.”―Marcus Aurelius
“Our life is what our thoughts make it.”― Marcus Aurelius
“The wise man sees an enemy in the angry man, and a patient man in the proud one.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Everything is right for me that is right for you, O universe. Nothing for me is too early or too late that comes in due time for you.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Act well your part: there all the honor lies.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Time is a river which carries me away, but I am the river; it is a tiger which devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The difference between your actions and your intentions is action.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Just as each of us, though we see only one small part of the world, yet adds to his little the sense of the parts that are beyond it, and constructs out of these his own idea of the world as a whole.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We should take such men as Lysippus sculptured, no worse than Heracles in their purpose and in action—men who are set to do great things for their country, who had rather die than not to be equal to their design.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“I am a man who has seen war with my own eyes; I have the experience and knowledge, and I am not afraid of speaking about its horrors.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“You cannot command Nature except by obeying her.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“As we become more like our ideal self, we can have more confidence in our ideals and take them more seriously.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“To behave like a man you must often act like a child.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Those who have set their hearts on what is pleasant in this life will meet with difficulty, and those who have set their hearts on things above will find difficulties.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“We can hardly love what we do not understand.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“When we are unable to change things for the better, change your attitude.
Famous Inspirational Marcus Aurelius Quotes on Life
“We all seek the same things, the good and the true.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The wise man knows that he is a fool for words, and a proud man hates his own witticisms.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” Marcus Aurelius
“It is a bad thing to charge ahead and break ranks, or leave ranks behind without orders.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“If you can’t get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you’d best teach it to dance” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We cannot command nature except by obeying her.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“We can find no better way to live than to live the life that we have made for ourselves.” – Marcus Aurelius
“Nobody is born great, and nobody becomes great without effort.” — Marcus Aurelius
“You will never know what you are capable of until you try.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“No one takes a step forward unless he is willing to accept the risk of looking foolish.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“It is a bad thing to charge ahead and break ranks, or leave ranks behind without orders.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“Life is not long enough for us not to do foolish things, nor short enough for us to do wise ones.” —Marcus Aurelius
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be encountering people who are meddling, ungrateful, aggressive, treacherous, malicious, unsaved and selfish. ” — Marcus Aurelius
“The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Pay no attention to what anyone says about you and only pay attention to what you say about yourself.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We cannot move forward without cultivating the mind that moves humanity toward freedom and self-mastery.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The upright cannot live in comfort while the wicked prosper.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Stop thinking about what you have and start thinking about what you want to have, because in comparison with that, everything else is worthless.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The best revenge is to be unlike the one who performed the injury.” — Marcus Aurelius
“A good person dyes events with his own color…and turns whatever happens to his own benefit.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The bridge between reason and truth leads nowhere. We must leap to it.” —Marcus Aurelius
“Of all the things that you can do in your life, do those things that show the greatest reflection of your character.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We cannot move forward without cultivating the mind that moves humanity toward freedom and self-mastery.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Do every act of your life as if it were your last.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” ― J.K. Rowling
“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together…” ― Marcus Aurelius
“You cannot make a man want to be a man by taking away all those things that make him like one.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” — Marcus Aurelius
“We are never so disturbed as when we think we see what others see, or hear what others hear.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Your life is the one you’ve been given, so make it the one you want to live.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Life is full of ironies: now, just when I cannot escape from myself, I am forced to be me most of all!” ― Marcus Aurelius
“To behave like a man you must often act like a child.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.”— Marcus Aurelius
“The wise man knows that he is a fool for words, and a proud man hates his own witticisms.”―Marcus Aurelius
“The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“We all seek the same things, the good and the true.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“No one takes a step forward unless he is willing to accept the risk of looking foolish.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“If you can’t get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you’d best teach it to dance.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We cannot command nature except by obeying her.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“Those who have set their hearts on what is pleasant in this life will meet with difficulty, and those who have set their hearts on things above will find difficulties.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“It is our actions, not our intentions, that make us what we are.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Watch what you say, and watch what you do.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“To behave like a man you must often act like a child.” —Marcus Aurelius
“You cannot command Nature except by obeying her.” —Marcus Aurelius
“We can hardly love what we do not understand.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“That which is not good for the beehive cannot be good for the bees.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The wise man sees an enemy in the angry man, and a patient man in the proud one.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” ― Marcus Aurelius
Famous Marcus Aurelius Quotes on Love
Love is free and kind, love does not humiliate; it is always generous and does not harm. Love is not jealous, it does not act maliciously; love is never rude.
“It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We should take care to give the time of day to everyone we meet, but even more carefully to those who appear important.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Death is a release from the impressions of the senses, and from desires that make us their puppets, and from the vagaries of the mind, and from everything that is temporary.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The world will present plenty of opportunities for you to stop being lazy.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“For the most part, we are all born weary from toil and weariness and pain, and only a few back in the days of antiquity, when men lived a healthier life, knew anything about it.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We must be on our guard against wrong living only because of the constant flow of bad examples coming from some place or other.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Some people worship money more than God; they are talkers who act like thieves.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We cannot command nature except by obeying her.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Your life is the one you’ve been given, so make it the one you want to live.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Remember that all of us, and everything that happens are, in the end, only appearances.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“What else is there to hope for when we are old or sick except to become such as we were created?” ― Marcus Aurelius
“If it’s not right, don’t do it. If it’s not true, don’t say it. If it’s not fair, don’t do it.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The most valuable of possessions…are a strong stomach and a good digestion…when Nature decides to relieve you of any part of your body, she doesn’t give an order for the amputation. She just does it.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The most important government is in our own soul.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The best revenge is to be unlike the one who performed the injury.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Nothing happens to any person, which he is not fitted by nature to bear.” ― Marcus Aurelius
Top 10 Marcus Aurelius Quotes
“A man without self-confidence is a lame man, unable to even hold his head erect.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.”― Marcus Aurelius
“Do not add to what God has given you, and do not take from it either.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“It is better to die standing than to live kneeling.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“People are the masters of their passions, while we are the slaves of our weaknesses.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We must never wish to be without our friends and yet wish that they were wiser than we are ourselves.”―Marcus Aurelius
“A friend can be come by only through familiarity with his qualities.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Death is nothing at all. For the living, death is nothing more than a change of habitation.”― Marcus Aurelius
“Remember that all of us, and everything that happens are, in the end, only appearances.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“If we can make others happy while learning ourselves at the same time, then our lives will be well spent.
Best Marcus Aurelius Quotes Death
Death is nothing at all. For the living, death is nothing more than a change of habitation.
“I want to live as long as we have life.”
“We are not influenced by the blows of fate but by our own decisions.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Death is something that happens to other people.” — Marcus Aurelius
“We must never wish to be without our friends and yet wish that they were wiser than we are ourselves.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“One of the reasons why death is so rarely spoken of is that death is a change, not an end.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We are all left with much more than we had when we began.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Death and pain are familiar friends to all, and no man despises them till he has crossed their path.”―Marcus Aurelius
“One of the reasons why death is so rarely spoken of is that death is a change, not an end.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The wise man sees an enemy in the angry man, and a patient man in the proud one.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” —Marcus Aurelius
“Our life is what our thoughts make it.”– Marcus Aurelius
“In order to lead a good life, we need to feel good about what we are doing.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We all have within us wings to fly with.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The wise man sees an enemy in the angry man, and a patient man in the proud one.” ―Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Quotes on Leadership
A leader’s job is to make his people want to carry out his plans as much for their own sakes as his.
“We are not influenced by the blows of fate but by our own decisions.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“If you’re planning for one year, grow rice. If you’re planning for 10 years, grow trees. If you’re planning for 100 years, grow people.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“One of the reasons why death is so rarely spoken of is that death is a change, not an end.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Being told to a man are the objects of his life, and telling him about them is telling him about himself.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Be busy with the things that make for peace ― those will include their own people’s good.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The surest way to live in harmony with others is never to expect applause.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“When one has transgressed a law of nature, the sin is compounded: it is the sin against oneself.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Nothing happens to any person, which he is not fitted by nature to bear.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“One of the things I am most grateful for is that we are born with the choice to live as we choose.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“What else is there to hope for when we are old or sick except to become such as we were created?” ―Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Quotes Obstacle Is the Way
Obstacle Is the Way
You Have Obstacles; Big Whoop
“People are the masters of their passions, while we are the slaves of our weaknesses.”
“The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The most valuable of possessions…are a strong stomach and a good digestion…when Nature decides to relieve you of any part of your body, she doesn’t give an order for the amputation. She just does it.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Some people worship money more than God; they are talkers who act like thieves.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“The best revenge is to be unlike the one who performed the injury.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“We are not influenced by the blows of fate but by our own decisions.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.”―Marcus Aurelius
“A friend can be come by only through familiarity with his qualities.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Remember that all of us, and everything that happens are, in the end, only appearances.” ―Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Quotes on Time
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The world will present plenty of opportunities for you to stop being lazy.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“You have the whole rest of your life to solve other problems. Right now, you need to solve this one.” — Marcus Aurelius
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” ― Marcus Aurelius
“No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone on the couch.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“You don’t need to be a person of knowledge to learn whatever you wish from the world; you only need desire and a little patience.”―Marcus Aurelius
“The surest way to live in harmony with others is never to expect applause.” ―Marcus Aurelius
“We must never wish to be without our friends and yet wish that they were wiser than we are ourselves.”―Marcus Aurelius
“The easiest way to be happy is to be content with the present.” ― Marcus Aurelius
