Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 5

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 5

Bonus: 

Do I have to be a Communist to read Marcus Aurelius?

Summary: Communism?

Commentary: 

42. We're all working towards the universe's purpose.

43. All our work is different, but all towards the same end.

44. The gods have a plan. If not for me specifically, then for the universe that I'm part of. And it must be a good plan. I should do what is best for me, since it will be according to their plan if they made one, and still best if they didn't.

45. Anything that happens to you is for the profit of the whole.

46. All of life is the same. What will the end be like?

47. Think of everyone who is dead, and realize you'll wind up the same.

48. When you want to be happy, think of the good things about the people you know. Nothing makes us happier than the good in others.

49. If you're not upset that you're not bigger, don't be upset you don't live longer. Amounts of matter and time are the same.

50. Try to convince others to support you, but do what is right regardless. If you are obstructed, try to take advantage of it for a virtue.

51. The proud take joy from what others do. The sensualist in what they feel. The wise in their work.

52. You can choose not to make up your mind about things. This can bring peace. Nothing and no one can form your opinion for you.

53. Listen to others and try to understand what they think.

54. What doesn't benefit others cannot benefit you.

55. If you hate the people who give you advice/direction, how will they help you.

56. Most people who have been born are already dead.

57. Being mad makes as much sense as people with rabies hating water.

58. No one can stop you from doing what the universe wants, and nothing can happen to you that isn't part of its plan.

59. Think of what people do. Now think of how dead they'll be.

Marcus Aurelius is pretty collectivist.

 

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 4

  Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 4

Bonus: 

Marcus Aurelius reminds you that snu snu is of the flesh, not the spirit.

Summary: Marcus Aurelius does customer service.

Commentary: 

26. Take care of all parts of your duties carefully. Don't get angry when someone is mad at you (like customer service!)

27. People should be free to pursue what they want. If they're wrong, correct them, but don't get mad.

28. Death is the end of sense, passion, reason, and THE MORTAL COIL.

29. It's shameful if your soul gives out before your body.

30. Stay pure, simple, kind, etc. so you can have a clean conscious when you die.

31. When you have a bad dream, wake up, consult your senses, and realize it wasn't real life.

32. Your body is frailer than your soul, and only cares about the now.

33. Hard work isn't against nature. As long as it's within your nature, it's good for man.

34. Scumbags enjoy many pleasures.

35. Don't show more respect to the rules and traditions of your profession than to your own reason.

36. The world is a tiny part of the universe, but what's good here is good everywhere. What's bad here is also bad everywhere.

37. The present is the same as all time.

38. Everything is connected.

39. Love the things in your life that there are to love.

40. A good tool is still good, even when separated from its maker, as long as it is used properly. Use yourself for good, even if you are away from your maker.

41. We cause a lot of problems when were blame things out of our control on good or evil. Only worry about your own stuff.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 3

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 3

Bonus: 

#19

Summary: Memes.

Commentary: 

13. "Keep these thoughts for meats and eatables: This that is before me is the dead carcase of a fish, a fowl, a hog." And then some more about wine is just grapes, etc. This shows you how little they're worth and how to avoid vanity.

14. 

15. Things are born and die (at varying speeds).

16. The freedom to make your own decisions is better than being a slave to applause.

17. The physical goes in all sorts of directions, virtue goes in a line.

18. We insult our contemporaries, but we want to be praised by our predecessors (impossible).

19. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's impossible. If you see something is possible, don't give up.

20. If someone accidentally fouls you at the gym, you don't get offended, you just dodge him the next time. Be the same in the rest of your life.

21. If someone proves you wrong, take the correction gladly. Truth is the goal, and truth hurts no one. Continuing in error does hurt.

22. I do my duty and don't worry about things that don't matter.

23. Be generous and free with the physical world.

24. We all die the same.

25. There's a lot of stuff going on at the same time, and a lot of things existing.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 2

  Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6

Bonus: 

Revenge in spaaaaaace

Summary: The universe is guided and guides us.

Commentary: 

2. Act like the person you want to be, no matter the situation.

3. Look inside yourself. Don't let the value of anything escape you.

4. Everything changes quickly.

5. The universe knows itself and what's happening.

6. The best revenge is not acting like the person who wronged you.

7. Be happy in moving from one productive thing to another.

8. The ruling part of you is that which makes you get up and do things and chooses your course.

9. Everything happens at the will of the universe. There is no other.

10. The universe is either organized or not. If not, I'm ready to die whenever. If it is, then I trust God.

11. When life gives you a problem, think of yourself and what you can control.

12. Philosophy is your mother, society your step-mother. You respect your step-mother, but your mom comes first.

The revenge one is interesting. Kind of like "living well is the best revenge", but a little more concrete.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6

 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6

Bonus: 

I'm sleepy.

Summary: I had a birthday party and I am sleepy.

Commentary: 

1. Listen to the universe, it's good and will guide you to your best life.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Finale

 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Part Finale

Bonus: 

Have you ever seen Batman and Marcus Aurelius in the same room?

Summary: You're gonna die and justice is great.

Commentary: 

20. At best, man is one of my favorite things. At worst, he is an obstacle like the weather. I will overcome him.

21. Revere what is best in the universe, and in yourself, the things that uses and arranges things to their best effect.

22. Things that don't hurt the whole do not hurt the parts. This applies to a state, a city, and yourself. 

23. Consider how quickly things exist and desist. Nothing is stable. Even the great successes are gone in the blink of the eye of eternity.

24. You are tiny in the span of the universe and eternity.

25. If someone wrongs you, that's his problem. Act in your nature and control what you control.

26. Listen to your soul, not your senses.

27. Live with the gods. They made our souls, and our souls are our best guidance.

28. Don't be mad that people are smelly. If it bothers you that much, talk to them about it and you might fix them.

29. Live the life you want. If you can't, change your life so you can.

30. The universe is social and orderly, meaning that the inferior must listen to the superior.

31. Think of how you treated others. Can it be said that you have done nothing unkind? 

32. If you're so smart, why do you let idiots bother you?

33. You're going to do, be transformed, yada yada yada.

34. If you walk the right path, you'll have a good life. Let nothing outside of you hinder you, and remember the happiness of justice.

35. No harm, no foul.

36. Don't get carried away by feeling. Help other people. Don't value things too much. Use riches to get good things. The best things are a good mind, good impulses, and good actions.

 They just keep getting longer and longer.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Part 2

 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Part 2

Bonus: 

BWAHMMMM

Summary: Your nature and your soul are all that matter.

Commentary:

9. If you mess up, don't be down on yourself. Remember that you mostly don't mess up and go try again. When you want something unbecoming, think about how much better wisdom, kindness, etc. are.

10. The nature of things are concealed, and some people say it's impossible to see their real nature.  And the morals of most people are terrible. We'll figure it all out once we die.

11. How am I using my soul? I should always keep that in mind. What kind of soul do I have?

12. You can't have too much of a good thing when the good thing is a virtue like courage. It is for physical things.

13. We don't become nothing when we die, because we didn't come from nothing. We'll return to the universe, which will also transform over time.

14. Thought and reason are complete themselves. They start from their own principle and reach their own ends. They're called right because thoughts don't deviate.

15. Nothing but your nature is really a part of you. Don't rebel against your nature. You have everything you need to be good. The more unnecessary things you go without, the better you are.

16. The way you think the most is your real nature. Work towards it and you will be happy and good. Society is the highest good, since we're meant to be social.

17. Doing the impossible is madness, and the root of evil.

18. You can bear anything nature presents you with.

19. Material things cannot touch the soul, only the soul can change itself.