Marcus Aurelius: The Control Switch
How to find the strength to accept misfortune
Fear stalks us constantly.
We’re a unique species for our suffering of fear. A spooked animal will run to safety and then settle again, ceasing to worry, grazing as if nothing had happened. Human beings fear constantly, even the nothingness of uncertainty can terrify us. We lie awake at night, in the comfort of our homes, worrying, fearing.
We fear losing our jobs, we fear losing our possessions, we fear being shamed, we fear rivals, we fear friends, we fear old age, we fear loss, we fear death, we fear too much life too.
Many people pray they will never face their fears, many pray their problems will go away. Those who don’t believe in God simply wish for the same. There’s not much difference. Either way, fate will do with us what it will.
Mental strength and courage require something else. What better is there to hope for than to not have to hope at all?
Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man in the world when he was made the ruler of the Roman Empire. But he was a reluctant despot. While most people would be amazed at Marcus’s reluctance to rule, given the respect and riches that would come with being emperor, the fact is that the Roman throne was a depressing and often…
