Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 4.28 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.28
A black character, a womanish character, a stubborn character, bestial, childish, animal, stupid, counterfeit, scurrilous, fraudulent, tyrannical.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.28, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/4.28
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesA bare list of unflattering character types, such as stubborn, childish, fake, fraudulent and tyrannical, apparently meant as labels for flaws to spot in people or oneself. It gives no practical guidance on its own, and one label reflects an old-fashioned sexist insult.
Older wording
- “scurrilous”
- — coarse and abusive
- “counterfeit”
- — fake, insincere
- “womanish”
- — a dated insult implying weakness
Themes and situations
- Virtue and character
- Judgements and impressions
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