Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 9.7

Wipe out imagination; check desire; extinguish appetite; keep the ruling faculty in its own power.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 9.7 (tr Long)

Stoic thinking will often go against the trends of our age, or of any age, and this is yet another one of those passages that can elicit a negative reaction from readers. It seems to be saying that feelings, and expression, and longing are terrible things that must be destroyed. This makes the Stoic seem like quite the heartless grinch.

I completely understand such a response, because I also don’t like to be told that my feelings don’t matter.

It isn’t that they don’t matter, however, but rather about how they should matter. It can take me a while to realize that only my judgments can allow me to make my feelings have purpose. Just as the body must be guided by the senses, so passion must be guided by conscience.

While the language in the passage is indeed rather blunt and forceful, I suspect the bigger problem is that we don’t like to think that our emotions should be ruled. We often start with passion, and then employ reason in order to feel good. The Stoic rather suggests that we start with reason, and then direct our passions in order to do good.

Once again, Stoicism isn’t saying that we are not creatures of feeling, or that we shouldn’t be doing any feeling. The passions are an essential aspect of our nature, but they are not the only aspect of our nature, and they are not the highest aspect of our nature. A feeling can only have value when it is first understood, and so what is good or bad in life requires passion to be guided by reason.

The language is firm because the commitment must be firm. Take charge. When it comes to things within my power, it will be so if I only so decide.

Wiping out imagination is not about stifling my creativity, but about not letting myself be ruled by appearances. Are the images running away with me? Rein the appearances back in. While I can let them speak for themselves, I shouldn’t let them speak for me.

Checking desire is not about smothering my feelings, but about moderating my longing. Are my desires telling me what to do? Turn that around. I should be telling them what to do.

Extinguishing appetite is not about denying my wants, but about knowing what I should choose to want. Are my circumstances determining my actions? Stop being a slave to conditions. I will make decisions about what happens, not letting what happens make my decisions.

It is reason that allows me to control myself, to be my own master, because only this power of awareness can distinguish true from false, and right from wrong. This does not restrict or oppress me, but is instead the very source of my liberty and contentment.

Written in 8/2008