Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 12.27

Constantly bring to your recollection those who have complained greatly about anything, those who have been most conspicuous by the greatest fame or misfortunes or enmities or fortunes of any kind: then think where are they all now?

Smoke and ash and a tale, or not even a tale.

And let there be present to your mind also everything of this sort, how Fabius Catellinus lived in the country, and Lucius Lupus in his gardens, and Stertinius at Briae, and Tiberius at Capreae, and Velius Rufus; and in fine think of the eager pursuit of anything conjoined with pride; and how worthless everything is after which men violently strain; and how much more philosophical it is for a man in the opportunities presented to him to show himself just, temperate, obedient to the gods, and to do this with all simplicity.

For the pride that is proud of its want of pride is the most intolerable of all.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 12.27 (tr Long)

Look at the people who have always impressed you, intimidated you, been better and holier than you.

Now look again. They are nothing more than you at all, and nothing less than you at all. They were born alone, and they will die alone. They are no different from you.

They pretend they are better, of course, because they play games of smoke and mirrors. They tell you that the right people won, and the wrong people lost, even as they have no idea of what it even means to be right or wrong.

Notice how they boldly brag about their achievements when life goes their way, and vigorously complain about the injustices when life doesn’t go their way. See those who make more of themselves because of where they were, and see those who make less of others because of where they were not.

“Well, that’s not me at all!” That makes it even worse. Now you are both a player and a liar. You know it within yourself, because you know that your words don’t fit your deeds.

Here’s the trick: stop being where you are, either rich or poor; start being who are you are, either good or bad. 

All of those who work so hard for their fame and glory now have nothing whatsoever. They live here or there, in this fancy neighborhood or another, drive the best of cars, and go on the finest of vacations. Still, if this is what they work so hard for, they have nothing, because there is nothing within them. Everything they value is outside of them.

In one sense, an old abandoned house will make me feel sad, because I wonder about the fate of those who had lived in it. In another sense, that some wreck gives me comfort, because I know that no human vanity will ever last.

Do you remember those names in the passage? Would it even matter if you did? Imagine how much care they must have given to their mansions, their food, their clothes, their reputations, or their many gratifications.

Their fancy homes are now just ruins, their names of no relevance at all. Become a decent man, ruled by wisdom and virtue, and you will care nothing for old piles of brick. You will learn to understand, not to be shallow. You will learn to love, not to be important.

Written in 9/2009