Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.32

And virtue they will curse, speaking harsh words.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 11.32 (tr Long)

Marcus Aurelius takes this from the poet Hesiod’s Works and Days. It may at first sound like some terrible prophecy of dark future times, when the living shall envy the dead, yet we will surely find it as quite a common occurrence, on each and every day of our lives.

I need not see this as the end of the world, but rather as a calling for me in this world. It can remind me of what I must do, even as others may do otherwise. That some, perhaps very many, will decide to reject their highest good is a consequence of the fact that we are gifted with reason and choice. Providence has deemed it that Nature should unfold in this way, that freedom permits both what is good and what is bad, so that out of it can come greater good.

If virtue is only a noble word, a pleasant label we attach to whatever we might desire, then vice will hardly trouble us; we will simply disguise it. Observe how many speak of integrity, of charity, of professional ethics, while they continue to lie, steal, and cheat. If I take virtue seriously, however, and aspire beyond the word to the task, I will face many struggles, and fight many uphill battles.

On the one hand, I will find people who mock what I care for, and I will be tempted to discouragement, constantly bombarded by doubt. They will tell me I am not playing by the right rules, that I am only causing trouble, perhaps even that I am dangerous. At the least they will laugh at me, at the most they may want to destroy me.

On the other hand, my own worst instincts will rise up within me, made all the stronger by the sense that I am all alone in this. It will seem easier to submit instead of stand, more convenient to seek pleasure over pain, more rewarding to receive wealth rather than live with character.

It will not be easy to take this path. Then again, of course, nothing good comes to us easily. The obstacle can be inspiring instead of intimidating. I am willing to confront all sorts of hardships and take many risks to become comfortable and rich, so should I not be all the more willing to tough it out so I may become decent and just?

Yes, vicious people will curse me, and they will curse me all the more when I start living well. That can be a good sign for me, not a bad omen, telling me that I am doing at least something right. I am now reminded to meet their hatred with love, to make something better out of their opposition.

Written in 7/2009

IMAGE: Gustave Moreau, Hesiod and the Muse (1857)