A man then must stand up. . .

"Labor not unwillingly, nor without regard to the common interest, nor without due consideration, nor with distraction; nor let studied ornament set off you thoughts, and be not either a man of many words, or busy about too many things.

"And further, let the deity which is in you be the guardian of a living being, manly and of ripe age, and engaged in matter political, and a Roman, and a ruler, who has taken his post like a man waiting for the signal which summons him from life, and ready to go, having need neither of oath nor of any man's testimony.

"Be cheerful also, and seek not external help nor the tranquility which others give. A man then must stand up, not be kept standing up by others."

--Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Book 3 (tr Long)

It is easy for us to give a list of virtues, add moving but vague definitions for them, and then nod our heads approvingly. I have found that a virtue can only mean something to me if I can understand how it strengthens my humanity, and very vividly sense the effect its practice has on my soul.

So when Marcus Aurelius offers some characteristics of a good man, I try to ask myself what ties them all together, and how living in such a way can bring genuine fulfillment. I've wasted too many years just mouthing the words, and I'm tired of just pretending that character matters.

I find the common element to all of these fine qualities is the Stoic willingness to measure our merit by our own thoughts and actions, and to find peace and joy in those things that are truly our own.

It is then that I can do what is right and good without any concern for recognition, reward, ostentation, or busywork.

It is then that I can commit myself to serve with no strings attached, and then that I must not fear death, because I know that the value of my life isn't how long it is, but how well it was lived.

It is then that I can be genuinely cheerful, because I know with certainty that Nature has given me everything I need to be happy.

I don't need to measure my kindness, loyalty, or honesty by how efficient they are in getting the world to go my way, or to give me what I want. If I think that way, then that isn't real, kindness, loyalty, or honesty at all, because I will modify these values if they cease to be convenient. No, I can choose to show concern, commitment, and integrity simply because they are good for their own sake.

That is, I think, what it means to stand up for oneself, and not to be held up by all the circumstances of the world. This is a liberty and self-reliance not of distance or alienation, but of finding that firm foundation for a life well lived.

Written in 9/1996

Image: Francis David Millet, A Roman Patrician (1882)