Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library Classics)

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And I think back to my life - and some of the more traumatic things that have happened to me, and I also like to think: I'm only a victim if I allow myself to be a victim. That when I became interested in philosophy I didn't fall into the hands of charlatans, and didn't get bogged down in writing treatises, or become absorbed by logic-chopping, or preoccupied with physics. No fancy old timey english or usage of complicated words that require access to a dictionary at all times. To that end, Aurelius crafted his worldview based on philosophies which were already then hundreds of years old.

Gives a bit more context and some of the phrasing just seemed a bit less off-putting than the other version I had read. Nevertheless, Meditations is a cornerstone of the practical philosophy genre and this new translation will make up a vital part of a classic bookshelf. Most of Aurelius' words are built upon centuries of other stoic philosophers, and there are themes related to Stoicism that need a precursor. But, it has helped me to recognize that these negative thoughts are affecting me because I'm allowing them to. He let the pages slip past his fingers to the fly leaf where was written with a broad carpenter’s pencil, “Sam’l Hamilton.What surprised me so much about the personal diary of an ancient Roman emperor written nearly two thousand years ago is that I understood what Marcus Aurelius felt. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who feels lost in life and is looking to find the tools on how to best approach life's uncertainties and challenges as well as rise above their circumstances. I took my time reading Aurelius' Meditations as, going into it I knew the man conveys meaningful concepts in very little space.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average.No matter what happens, keep this in mind: It's the same old thing, from one end of the world to the other. It is just a different reading experience, one that I (a new, naïve reader) was neither expecting nor wanting. They saw him for what he was: a man tested by life, accomplished, unswayed by flattery, qualified to govern both himself and them. He talks about various aspects of how one can improve their lives by straightforward and consistent action.

It is 50 pages of unbroken and dense text, making it difficult to start and stop, and even harder to continue. Too obtuse for learning, too stilted for pleasure, too demanding for a sleep aid; the worst of all worlds. And if you are interested in Stoicism, then you should also take a look at some other books that explore Stoicism, Buddhism, happiness and enjoying life. My rating, therefore, is intended to reflect on the translation/edition, and even here I must offer a caveat: The version I read, free on Kindle, purported to be the Gregory Hays translation, but I suspect it was poorly, perhaps manually, copied to .That I conferred on the people who brought me up the honors they seemed to want early on, instead of putting them off (since they were still young) with the hope that I'd do it later. It is the definitive text on self-discipline, personal ethics, humility, self-actualization, and strength. A straightforward, honest person should be like someone who stinks: when you’re in the same room with him, you know it.

While Meditations does have more popular one-liners, Letters from a Stoic maintains a degree of originality and has more relatable applications and examples of applying Stoicism towards everyday human experiences that’s just missing from Mediations. At the same time, the work felt a little dimished by the fact it was written by an emperor, in the sense that it is easy for a person of the most privilege to talk about doing away with desires, or taking things as they come, seeing death as something to not fear, etc. Do modern theories about the nature of the universe make Marcus's outlook more appealing than it might have seemed a century ago? Consequently, the Meditations have become required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style. At several points Marcus expresses disapproval of the Epicureans for making pleasure their highest goal.Delivered in digestible bits, read one a day to set your mind right, or binge them all and let simmer over time.