Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.4

This then remains: Remember to retire into this little territory of your own, and above all do not distract or strain yourself, but be free, and look at things as a man, as a human being, as a citizen, as a mortal.

But among the things ready to your hand to which you shall turn, let there be these, which are two.

One is that things do not touch the soul, for they are external and remain immovable; but our perturbations come only from the opinion that is within.

The other is that all these things, which you see, change immediately and will no longer be. And constantly bear in mind how many of these changes you have already witnessed. The universe is transformation; life is opinion.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 4 (tr Long)

I have often found myself amazed at the manner in which Stoicism not only provides me with sound principles, but also the way in which the most basic use of these principles can yield very concrete and immediate results. There can be a wonderful concurrence here between thinking and doing.

I may understand in theory, for example, that some things are within my power, and some things are beyond my power. But where am I to draw that line in everyday living? Pondering this ever more abstractly, which can be one of my grave weaknesses, may not help at all, and it may only confuse me even more.

So instead, I can just examine each individual thing, situation, or relation that crosses my experience, however simple or common, and I can put it to the test. Is this within the realm of my freedom, or do I need to strain and distract myself to try and bring it under my control? I realize then, of course, that I am not controlling it at all, but I am letting it control me. I can then clearly distinguish between what is mine, and what is not mine, and I can adjust my scope and intention accordingly.

The two guidelines Marcus Aurelius offers here can greatly assist me in doing this.

First, the things outside of me are not forcing me think in a certain way. They are what they are in themselves, but I am the one making the judgment about what they are for me. Someone may have acted poorly, and failed his own character, and he may even have intended to harm me. The vice or the harm will only reach me, however, when I permit them to do so from my own estimation, when I respond with my own judgment and action.

Second, what may seem so terrifying or unbearable is never lasting. I would often scoff at being told that “this too shall pass,” but I was never really considering how little power a past event itself possessed, as it had long ceased to be. The power came from what I still considered of it in my memory and attention. The world is always moving along, and what is at one moment is soon no longer. Why do I worry about something that does not exist?

The appeal to simple phrases sometimes helps me get through the day.

Am I facing frustration with something that has happened, moments ago or years ago? “Move along, nothing to see here!” It will soon transform into something else.

Am I confronted with fear, loss, or anger? “This is mine. That isn’t mine.” I will claim my own thinking, and leave the rest. 

Written in 5/2005