Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 12.20 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 12.20
First, do nothing inconsiderately, nor without a purpose. Second, make thy acts refer to nothing else than to a social end.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 12.20, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/12.20
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesTwo guidelines for action: never act thoughtlessly or aimlessly, and make everything you do serve the good of others or the community. Purpose and service are the test of any action.
Older wording
- “inconsiderately”
- — thoughtlessly, without careful thought
- “social end”
- — a goal that benefits the community
Themes and situations
- Virtue and character
- Community and our duty to others
- Self-discipline and habit
- Duty and roles
- A hard decision
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