Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 6.41 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 6.41
Whatever of the things which are not within thy power thou shalt suppose to be good for thee or evil, it must of necessity be that, if such a bad thing befall thee or the loss of such a good thing, thou wilt blame the gods, and hate men too, those who are the cause of the misfortune or the loss, or those who are suspected of being likely to be the cause; and indeed we do much injustice, because we make a difference between these things [because we do not regard these things as indifferent]. But if we judge only those things which are in our power to be good or bad, there remains no reason either for finding fault with God or standing in a hostile attitude to man.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 6.41, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/6.41
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesIf you treat things outside your control as truly good or bad, you will blame God and hate people whenever you lose the one or suffer the other. Count only what is in your power, your own choices and character, as good or bad, and you lose any reason to resent the world or other people.
Older wording
- “indifferent”
- — neither good nor bad in itself
Themes and situations
- What is in our control
- Judgements and impressions
- Anger
- Acceptance and fate
- Being angry with someone
- Losing a job
- Losing money
- Betrayal
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