Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 11.14 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.14
Men despise one another and flatter one another; and men wish to raise themselves above one another, and crouch before one another.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.14, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/11.14
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesPeople are inconsistent in how they treat each other: they look down on one another, flatter one another, try to climb above one another, and then grovel before the same people. It is a reminder that status games are driven by ego, not by anything real.
Older wording
- “crouch”
- — grovel or cringe in front of someone
Themes and situations
- Pride and humility
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Community and our duty to others
- Envy and comparison
- Conflict at work
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