"A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is higher than himself; and a mean man, by one lower than himself. The one produces aspiration; the other ambition, which is the way in which a vulgar man aspires."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Anything in any way beautiful derives its beauty from itself and asks nothing beyond itself. Praise is no part of it, for nothing is made worse or better by praise."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Begin--to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Constantly regard the universe as one living being, having one substance and one soul; and observe how all things have reference to one perception, the perception of this one living being; and how all things act with one movement; and how all things are the cooperating causes of all things which exist; observe too the continuous spinning of the thread and the contexture of the web."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Death is a release from the impressions of the senses, and from desires that make us their puppets, and from the vagaries of the mind, and from the hard service of the flesh."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Everything that happens happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Execute every act of thy life as though it were thy last."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether any shall note it... Be satisfied with success in even the smallest matter, and think that even such a result is no trifle."
- Marcus Aurelius
"He who fears death either fears the loss of sensation or a different kind of sensation. But if thou shalt have no sensation, neither wilt thou feel any harm; and if thou shalt acquire another kind of sensation, thou wilt be a different kind of living being and thou wilt not cease to live."
- Marcus Aurelius
"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Let it be your constant method to look into the design of people's actions, and see what they would be at, as often as it is practicable; and to make this custom the more significant, practice it first upon yourself."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Let men see, let them know, a real man, who lives as he was meant to live."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature's delight."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Nothing happens to any man that he is not formed by nature to bear."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Perhaps there are none more lazy, or more truly ignorant, than your everlasting readers."
- Marcus Aurelius
- Marcus Aurelius
"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Anything in any way beautiful derives its beauty from itself and asks nothing beyond itself. Praise is no part of it, for nothing is made worse or better by praise."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Begin--to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Constantly regard the universe as one living being, having one substance and one soul; and observe how all things have reference to one perception, the perception of this one living being; and how all things act with one movement; and how all things are the cooperating causes of all things which exist; observe too the continuous spinning of the thread and the contexture of the web."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Death is a release from the impressions of the senses, and from desires that make us their puppets, and from the vagaries of the mind, and from the hard service of the flesh."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Everything that happens happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Execute every act of thy life as though it were thy last."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether any shall note it... Be satisfied with success in even the smallest matter, and think that even such a result is no trifle."
- Marcus Aurelius
"He who fears death either fears the loss of sensation or a different kind of sensation. But if thou shalt have no sensation, neither wilt thou feel any harm; and if thou shalt acquire another kind of sensation, thou wilt be a different kind of living being and thou wilt not cease to live."
- Marcus Aurelius
"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Let it be your constant method to look into the design of people's actions, and see what they would be at, as often as it is practicable; and to make this custom the more significant, practice it first upon yourself."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Let men see, let them know, a real man, who lives as he was meant to live."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature's delight."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Nothing happens to any man that he is not formed by nature to bear."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Perhaps there are none more lazy, or more truly ignorant, than your everlasting readers."
- Marcus Aurelius
