Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 9.22 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 9.22
Hasten to examine thy own ruling faculty and that of the universe and that of thy neighbour: thy own that thou mayest make it just: and that of the universe, that thou mayest remember of what thou art a part; and that of thy neighbour, that thou mayest know whether he has acted ignorantly or with knowledge, and that thou mayest also consider that his ruling faculty is akin to thine.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 9.22, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/9.22
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesExamine three minds: your own, so you can make it fair; the mind of the universe, so you remember you are part of something larger; and your neighbour's, so you can tell whether he acted out of ignorance or knowingly and remember that his mind is kin to yours.
Older wording
- “ruling faculty”
- — your reasoning mind
Themes and situations
- Judgements and impressions
- Justice and fairness
- Community and our duty to others
- Kindness and forgiveness
- Being angry with someone
- Conflict at work
- Family conflict
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