Meditations (Dover Thrift Editions: Philosophy)

I was researching an historical author online and Marcus Aurelius's name came up as one of his inspirations and I decided to take a closer look at him also. "A king that shares my own first name, I have to see what this is about" I thought to myself. So I found "Meditations" and marked it to be read. Now I have to make this clear immediately, I hated this book! Let me clarify before you jump to conclusions, die hard fans of "Meditations". What I mean is that I hate that I love this book so much! Now there are things in life that people love to hate. There are things in life that are so outrageously obnoxious that you have to tune in just to see what happens next. This is a book that I hate to love and that's a first for me. This book will forever harbor a special place in my heart, and even if I'm out and I'm not in possession of a physical copy literally, it's divine principles and virtuous insight will reside in my heart figuratively. Now here is where I elaborate on what I mean by I hate (to love) this book. The fact that it took me three days to read this book when it would've taken three hours had it been any other book, on account of the fact that I found myself constantly pausing to meditate while pondering what I was in reading in a book that just happens to be entitled "Meditations" was just downright eerie to me! When I begin to delve into these very deep issues and encounter his profound insight in regards to them, it became impossible to simply breeze through them as anticipated. Now if it wasn't already eerie enough that my name is Marcus and I'm reading the diary of a man; a king whose name just happens to be Marcus also, and not only are these his inner most personal thoughts, that may have quite possibly been intended to be a private note to himself, but there were also certain parts that totally felt like fate as I came across them. It literally felt like certain things were specifically laid out for me...a very eerie feeling to say the least.This book is outrageously good! There are absolutely NO DULL MOMENTS in this book! It really felt like Marcus was pressed for time and didn't have a moment to spare, and he was absolutely determined to diligently contain these wonderful conceptions and document them before they were lost forever. He did an excellent job, and I found every bit of what I read to be excellent and extremely helpful. I must admit that certain parts were so good that it angered me a little. "How could this guy be so great"! I thought to myself. It was like someone vehemently addressing the issues that we all face at some point in life, and extracting them individually one by one and presenting them to me to be examined. It was literally like he took life's pain: love, the loss thereof, jealousy, envy, betrayal and death, and intentionally put pressure on all those wounds, but only for the purposes of assessment though. Then afterwards going to work on them, going in serious depth and detail about them all with such a gentle, pleasant, and appropriate empathy that it became impossible to remain upset about it. It was refreshing to know that someone cared enough to actually give an analysis about these things. The issues he explored, the conclusions drawn, really hit me as hard as a punch directly to the heart. It didn't feel like an attack though, more like CPR. Even though CPR hurts it's vital and for the better in the end. Now mind you "Meditations" is this man's note to himself, so he unintentionally affected me. I can't be mad at him for that. It was like having a heart to heart with someone who has the courage and is considerate enough to offer you an alternative in regards to any character flaws you may have, and ultimately challenges you to be better. As irritating as that can be, it hurts so good because you know it's coming from a place of love and that that person genuinely wishes the best for you, and is not patronizing you or being condescending in any way. If a woman were to have expressed this kind of genuine concern for me in regards to the interactions we shared with each other, I would fall madly in love with her instantly afterwards. If any couple were to express this kind of openness and genuine concern for one another I bet they would never part. The fact that is fashioned as if it were a diary only adds to the purity and importance of it, making it a sacred experience for me. I truly don't believe that a man who was this knowledgeable and articulate, and diligent in his outlook on life would lie to himself. There is nothing watered down, fake, or half true at all here!Marcus actually proceeded to address not only life but death also in the same body of work. The nerve of this dude! Death is usually an issue a person would either prefer to hurt about with no interference, or to just be left alone about it and be enabled to move on and forget about it. Marcus Aurelius, having loss both his parents at a young age, and then his wife also, that must have instilled a sense of entitlement in him by then I suppose. His analysis was excellent though, very brilliant! Reading such an excellent body of work compelled me to pose a couple of questions to myself. Will a person like myself ever be able to live up to these excellent standards? will I ever be able to attain this type of greatness? Marcus's ability to examine human nature is absolutely astounding! When everyone around you is angry, no matter where you reside, or what the circumstances maybe; you so desperately want to be angry also, naturally, but Marcus Aurelius is a man, a king, who stresses the importance of patience and temperance. Not only does he stress it, he also insist that patience and temperance are both collectively the ultimate symbol of strength, and only the strong survive where I come from.The concept of individuality has pretty much vanished in these modern times. The insistence of taking moral inventory of one's self, being self-reliant, self-sufficient, and exercising self-control was highly emphasized throughout the entire book. Nobody is asking anybody to be perfect, we all have our flaws, and many of the things in this world are what they are and the reasonable response is to adapt and behave accordingly but "See how the life of a good man suits you, the life of him who is satisfied with his portion of the whole, and is satisfied with his own just acts and benevolent disposition". "Does another do me wrong? Let him look to it. He has his own disposition and his own activity. I now have what universal nature wills me to have, and I now do what universal nature wills me to do", this is sheer brilliance. Here you have an emperor, a real ruler of a culturally enriched nation with a refined legacy, yet this man never mentions his own wealth, not once! His only concern is his very essence and his genuine empathy for mankind. I find that to be very distinctive and honorable to say the least. This man really poured his heart and soul into this work and I greatly appreciate it. I recommend this book honestly to every man. I think every man should read this book at least once. I also recommend this book to anybody who has suffered some kind of loss, such as the death of a close family member or friend. I think this book would be very helpful to anyone who has experienced such a thing. I also recommend this book to anyone who is seeking a deeper level of understanding in regards to human nature, whether it be for the purposes of excelling in business or it be of a personal nature. Whatever the case may be, this man's insight will definitely assist you in filling any void you may have in your soul.

Excellent read. Gives you pause for thought. Powerful when applied to real life situations. Recommend

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard, accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.”Before I get into details, I must say that reading Meditations was one of the hardest, but most rewarding experiences in my own personal growth. The book has done so much to ferment my prior beliefs and has helped a lot to broaden my mind and encourage me to be all that I can be.It is very difficult in today’s world to believe in anything, whether it be divine beings, other people, or even ourselves. It is an epidemic that buries potential and love deep down and leaves anger and frustration to dictate life.There is no reason to feel unhappy, unfulfilled, or unappreciated , and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius offers advice to anyone who is looking for self help, self love, and a rational way of directing life.Before reading this book it is interesting to know the man that wrote it. Marcus Aurelius was the last of The Five Good Emperors of Ancient Rome. He took the title of Augustus after the death of his adopted father, Antoninus Pius, the adopted son of the late Emperor Hadrian.However Marcus Aurelius had tried to pass on the emperorship, for he prefered a much more simple philosophic lifestyle. He accepted the honor with the sole demand that Lucius Verus, his adopted brother, would share the seat with him.Sharing his seat of power is the one move that summarizes Marcus Aurelius’s entire life; the fear of power and the duty embedded in him through his interest in Stoicism, a philosophy that grounds itself on self-restraint, reason, and fate.His work is a reflection of his life, and the words inscribed in Meditations are the product of his own thoughts and his own experiences. While reading this book good feelings will begin to surface through introspection, and in turn bad feelings will be expelled.In my everyday life quotes from his book swim in my mind when I am met with difficult situations, and they enable me to make smarter more thought out and rational decisions. It is fascinating and rewarding each time I don’t simply act on impulse.This book is not for entertainment, not for adventure, and it is definitely not a “light read.” It is a book that will help those who seek help, irritate those who don’t, and fascinate those who wish to learn and grow.