My 7 Takeaways from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

8 min readMar 10, 2023

Lessons from an Emperor’s Diary

I have to admit, Meditations have been on my reading list for years. It is the kind of book that is inevitably going to end up on your reading list if you make a genuine effort to put together a good one. But for some reason, I kept postponing reading it. Perhaps in my mind, I made it bigger than it was. I felt that a book such as this, considered to be one of the greatest books ever written, needed a special time, and a special mood.

Then devastating earthquakes hit Türkiye and Syria on 6 February 2023. As we were still collectively trying to come to grips with what had just happened, I found myself picking up Meditations from my bookshelf.

They say the right book, the right time, the right reader. I guess this was the right time for me.

These earthquakes or other events of such magnitude usually come with powerful lessons. We tend to forget them quickly, but that is a different conversation. We are reminded of what matters in life. That money is not it. That service to others is the true meaning of life. That sometimes there is no why — tragedy simply happens. That one has to always train and prepare for calamities. That we need to spend as much time as we can with our loved ones, who can be snatched from us in a split second. And that death is always around us and it should serve to teach us to appreciate life. And these are precisely the kind of messages one finds in a book written by a Roman emperor almost two thousand years ago.

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (161-180), was one of the prime examples of a “philosopher king”. Endorsed by many great thinkers of Ancient Greece, including Plato and Aristotle, the concept of a philosopher king was meant to encourage rulers to combine political (and military) skills with the knowledge obtained from the study of philosophy. Not quite an image we have in mind when thinking about our political leaders, no? But even in ancient times, politicians were no different. Tyranny, corruption, abuse of power — these are not modern concepts.

But every once in a while, there comes a leader who makes a genuine effort to be good. To rule fairly, to reduce misery, and to make the world around him a better place. Marcus Aurelius was one such leader. To be clear, he was not perfect. Far from it. If anything, Meditations show us exactly that — that he knew he was not perfect, and that he felt he could and had to make effort to be better.

Meditations are a series of Marcus Aurelius’ personal writings. It is his diary reflecting his thoughts and views on various subjects, his values, ethics, and outlook. He never intended to share Meditations with anyone, which is precisely what makes these writings valuable. In fact, the original title of the book translates as To Himself. We don’t usually know much about the rulers’ innermost thoughts and feelings. And here is the unedited, raw material from the man who at the time was the most powerful person in the world. His writings, without an editor’s touch or public information consultant’s polish.

Meditations are more than one man’s diary though. This book is also one of the essential readings for anyone interested in the philosophy of Stoicism. While the author also did not intend for Meditations to become that, Meditations are commonly considered a guide to applying this philosophy in real life. Meditations, along with Seneca and Epictetus’ writings, are the backbone of the philosophy of Stoicism.

Meditations have been an inspiration and guide for so many politicians, military and business leaders, athletes, authors, and artists. There are so many people of different backgrounds and walks of life that seem to have been influenced by this book, it is mindblowing.

And yet, as a reader, you should be clear about what you are getting. This is not a literary work. There is no plot, no continuity, and no storyline. Meditations are divided into 12 books, sometimes with recurring themes, some random thoughts, and sometimes contradictions. Despite that, there are plenty of gems you can find throughout the text.

Here are my main takeaways from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius:

Journaling is extremely valuable. If it works for an emperor, it sure can work for me. As I read through the book, I often found myself wondering — what exactly happened on the day he wrote this part or that part. We see the thought, but we don’t know what triggered it, or how Marcus Aurelius arrived at it. Then again, that is the whole point of journaling. It is a personal exercise. An exercise in thinking about important issues, over and over. Reminding yourself about your standards and goals, analyzing the instances where you feel you did not act in line with your values. Learning to articulate your thoughts better and better.
Human Nature — it is what it is. Marcus Aurelius reminds himself to accept people around him as they are, that human nature sometimes drives people to do evil things, selfish things. And that this is simply part of life: “When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and unfriendly.” This is part of the concept of building the Inner Citadel. He repeatedly says that we can only decide what kind of a person we are going to be. Not naively hoping that the people around us will be kind, but despite the worst aspects of their nature. “Someone hates me. Their problem. Mine: to be patient and cheerful with everyone, including them… Not spitefully… but in an honest way”. Remember that we can be better. That we can react with kindness. That we can try to consider another’s point of view. That we should not forget our faults. And of course, a common theme is the stoic’s main principle — accept what you cannot control and focus on what you can control— your thoughts, your attitudes, and your actions. “Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed — and you haven’t been.”
The obstacle is the Way. This concept has changed my life. “The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting”. It has helped me deal with adversity, feel more positive overall, and improved my focus on my objectives. “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” This is such a powerful perspective. Considering what kind of challenges Marcus Aurelius had to deal with throughout his life as an emperor — the plague, the wars, endless travels, and personal problems (of his 14 children, only 5 survived him) — amazingly, he was able to continue his rule in a manner consistent with his principles. We are all humans after all and you would think there is only so much one can take. Not so Marcus Aurelius. As he puts it: “an athlete in the greatest of all contests- the struggle not to be overwhelmed by anything that happens.” Ryan Holiday, who is the author of several books on stoicism, dedicated an entire book to this concept — see my article on that book here.
Strive to be better. Meditations were Marcus Aurelius’ tool for growth. By analyzing his actions or his impressions of different people or events, he was practicing steady and consistent improvement of his thought process and disciplined action. In all aspects of life, he stressed the value of integrity, honesty, and humility. He was also big on discipline. For example, waking up early is now a popular topic among productivity gurus and motivational speakers. Marcus Aurelius starts book 5 of the Meditations by exploring his thought process as he tries to wake up in the morning. Why does one feel so lazy? Why is getting out of bed so difficult? “So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them?” Marcus Aurelius thinks of life less like an artful dance, and more like a wrestling match. We should therefore constantly train ourselves to be ready to handle the challenges of life.
Memento Mori. Remember that you too will die. Death is always an important part of any conceptual philosophical framework (remember Valar Morghulis — all men must die?). In Stoicism, the theme of acceptance of the inevitability of death is central. As Marcus Aurelius puts it: “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” Everything is fleeting, transient. Only death is certain. But stoics are not pessimists or fatalists. Reminding ourselves about our mortality is to inspire us, to not waste time on insignificant things, and to focus on what matters. To work relentlessly to be better. To be present. To not blow things out of proportion — for everything that we think is happening to us and is unique has already been experienced by many others years and centuries ago. Remember all the greats that have left us. Let that spur you into action. I recently wrote an article about one of my favorite athletes — Kobe Bryant, who was born just two weeks before me and died tragically in 2020 (see the article here). Thinking about Kobe always gives me the motivation to work hard.
Gratitude. Thinking about death is how we appreciate what we have. One of the sentences Marcus Aurelius mentions (with reference to Epictetus) had a profound impact on me and gives me chills every time I read it: “As you kiss your son good night, whisper to yourself, he may be dead in the morning”. Marcus Aurelius experienced this himself with his children. Several times. If anything, the recent earthquakes should teach us this same lesson.
Action. “Stop drifting. … Sprint for the finish” Marcus Aurelius was a man of action. While he advises patience and acceptance of the things we can’t control, the man never stood idly by and did his share of trying to influence things, both in his own life and as a statesman. “You have to assemble your life yourself — action by action.” Even his advice about how to be a good man is very action-oriented. “Waste no time arguing what a good man should be. Be one”

If you want to read more about Marcus Aurelius I recommend this page of the Daily Stoic website by Ryan Holiday. You can also check out Ryan Holiday’s book Lives of the Stoics.

If you are interested in the philosophy of Stoicism, I recommend the books by Ryan Holiday and Massimo Pigliucci. I recently got my hands on The Practicing by Ward Farnsworth and The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot, but have not yet read them. Ryan Holiday’s website The Daily Stoic is an excellent resource on Stoicism.

Check out my other articles:

My 7 Takeaways from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Written by Rational Badger