Marcus Aurelius - utdrag fra "Meditasjoner"

12.9 In the application of principles, you must be like the boxer, (..) ,the boxer has his hand with him always and need only make a fist.

11.26 The Epicureans: "always keep in your mind one of those ancients who practiced virtue."

11.18 

(5) that you are not even sure that they do wrong, for many actions are done within a certain context, and in general, one must know many things before correctly judging the actions of another.
(7) that it is not the actions of others that trouble us but rather it is our own judgments. (..) By realizing that such actions are not shameful to you(!).
(9) that kindness is unconquerable, so long as it is without flattery or hypocrisy.

..the closer one is to being unaffected, the closer he is to real power; and just as excessive sorrow is a mark of weakness, so is anger, for whoever gives in to these has not merely been wounded, but he has surrendered to his wounds.

11.1 Characteristics which are unique to the reasoning soul: it truly sees itself, shapes itself, and makes itself into whatever it wills. It harvests the fruit which it bears. (..) it can say: "I possess what is truly my own."

10.34 "As the wind scatters leaves upon the earth, such is the race of men." Homer's Iliaden,6.146-9.

10.11 How is it that all things change, one into another? Acquire a contemplative way of investigating this question, and continually apply yourself to this practice. Nothing so promotes greatness of mind.

9.40 (..) isn't it a better thing freely to make use of the gifts you have, instead of slavishly worrying about what is not in your control? Who has told you that the gods do not also assist us with what is within(!) our power? (Om å be for indre styrke, ikke ytre omstendigheter)

8.33 Receive without conceit; release without a struggle.

8.8 No time to read or study. But it is(!) possible to restrain my pride; it is(!) possible to rise above pleasures and pains; it is(!) possible to rise above reputation; it is(!) possible not only not to be angry with the insensitive and ungrateful, but even to care for them.

6.48 Whenever you want to cheer yourself up, consider the good qualities of your companions, for example, the energy of one, the modesty of another, the generosity of yet another, and some other quality of another; for nothing cheers the heart as much as the images of excellence reflected in the character of our companions, all brought before us as fully as possible. Therefore, keep these images ready at hand.

6.6 The noblest way of taking revenge on others is by refusing to become like them.

5.1 (..) was I created so that I could lie under my covers and keep warm? "But this is more pleasant," you might say. Were you brought into this world simply to feel pleasure, that is, to be acted upon by feelings rather than to act?

4.48 (..) always keep in mind how short-lived and insignificant human things really are: yesterday a glob of mucous, tomorrow a corpse or a pile of ashes. So pass this brief amount of time in accordance with Nature and dissolve graciously, just as a ripe olive falls to the ground praising both the earth which gave it life and the tree which nourished it.

4.47 If some god told you that you would die tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, you would not consider death on the third day to be anything better than death on the second day, unless you were a wholly base person. And so just the same, do not think that living many years is any better than dying tomorrow.

4.41 Epictetus: "you are a tiny little soul propping up a corpse"

4.35 They are all short-lived, both those who remember and the remembered.

4.3 People seek retreats for themselves in the country, by the sea, and near the mountains; and you too are especially prone to desire such things. But this is a sign of ignorance, since you have the power to retire within yourself whenever you wish.(..)

3.13 Just as doctors always keep their implements and scalpels ready at hand in case of an emergency treatment, so should you have your guiding principles ready in order to understand things human and devine, and for the doing of everything, even the smallest deed, being aware at all times of the bond that unites these two realms. For you can never do anything well which concerns humans unless you consult the devine; nor can you do anything well concerning the devine without first consulting the human realm.

3.6 (..) Simply and freely choose what is better and hold your ground. "But whatever is to my advantage must be the best," you might say. If it is to your advantage as a rational being, then hold on to it; but if it is to your advantage as a mere animate creature, admit this with humility. Only make sure you have made a choice that is not dishonorable.

3.5 (..) Be cheerful, without dependence on the external support or ease which companions can provide. One must stand upright and not be propped up.

2.12 (..) ,if one sees death for what it is, and with the power of Intelligence strips away all its imaginary characteristics, one will then understand death to be nothing more than a natural process, and it is childish to be afraid of a natural process. Moreover, this is not only a natural process, but is for the well-being of Nature herself.