Stoicism. Below are the 20 Best Marcus Aurelius Quotes That Will Motivate You, but firstly—Here’s a quick biography of Marcus Aurelius.
Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher-King
Marcus Aurelius was born on April 26, 121 AD in Rome, and would become one of the most famous Roman emperors in history. He started his reign in 161 AD until his death in 180 AD—He’s the last of the five good emperors of Rome—and what he is most remembered for is his philosophical wisdom, stoic values, and commitment to duty.
His Personal Journal
Meditations is a collection of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius on his life, values, and Stoic Principles. It’s assumed that Marcus wrote Meditations during his campaign in Central Europe. If you haven’t read Meditations, I highly recommend you do.
Best Quotes
Without further explanation, here are the 20 Best Marcus Aurelius Quotes That Will Motivate You, what they mean, and how you can apply them.
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“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
You shouldn’t dwell on things you can’t control, what you should focus on is your mind as it’s completely in your control. If you can learn to live by this rule, you’ll only become better and stronger.
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“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
What do your thoughts consist of? Happiness is something to internalize, just like any other emotion—If you think negatively, it’s likely you’re not happy with where you’re at in life. Have a strong mind, and you’ll be invincible to any external struggle.
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“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.”
Anger happens to most, but it’s how you process it that can be dangerous for yourself and everyone around you. Control it.
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“The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”
This quote is a great example of “kill them with kindness”. If someone insults you, be the better person and let it go.
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“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”
If you know you’re right, stand your ground—even if everyone is against you.
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“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.”
Always have pure intentions, no matter what you say or do.
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“The memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed in time.”
You will be dead someday, our loved ones too—it’s why we have to live our lives to the fullest as each day might be our last. Make your life count for something.
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“It is the responsibility of leadership to work intelligently with what is given, and not waste time fantasizing about a world of flawless people and perfect choices.”
You’re the leader of your own story, accept the world for what it is whilst trying to make it a better place.
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“Let each thing you would do, say, or intend, be like that of a dying person.”
Live each day like it’s your last—appreciate what you have, work for something greater, always be honest, and patient—Most important of all, don’t waste time on things you don’t need.
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“The best answer to anger is silence.”
Anger is an irrational emotion; the most rational thing is to be silent—anger can make you do or say something you’ll regret.
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“You have been formed of three parts—body, breath, and mind. Of these, the first two are yours insofar as they are only in your care. The third alone is truly yours.”
Your body and breath are physical, they have limits in accordance with how you treat your physical self. Your mind has no limits—you can shape it and mold it in any way you’d like.
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“Whenever someone has done wrong by you, immediately consider what notion of good or evil they had in doing it. For when you see that, you’ll feel compassion, instead of astonishment or rage.”
Before you feel anything about something someone has done to you, ask yourself this: what was their intention with their action? Most people try to do the right thing, it’s who we are and it’s how we have been able to thrive all these years.
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“Choose not to be harmed, and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed, and you haven’t been.”
A person can only feel hurt if they let themselves feel hurt—the same thing with jealousy for example. You have complete control over your mind, use it to the fullest.
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“If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.”
Keep striving for something more, be open-minded, and be okay with failure as it can always teach you something—trying to become something more has never hurt anyone. Don’t be someone who’s afraid to fail, can’t self-reflect, and never seems to think they’ve done anything wrong—there is no benefit in being self-deceiving.
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“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
Death is a natural thing that will happen to everyone eventually—the only thing that matters is what you do while you’re alive.
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“The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.”
If you can stay calm in any situation—your mind becomes an impenetrable fortress.
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“This is the mark of perfection of character—to spend each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, laziness, or any pretending.”
If you’re able to utilize every day to the fullest with nothing clouding your actions or judgment—you’ve mastered yourself.
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“Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it.”
You only have a set number of days in this life—open yourself up to new things in life, not doing so will fill your life with sorrow and regrets. Use your time wisely.
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“Receive without pride, let go without attachment.”
Let go of your ego—Don’t let your successes or failures define the way you act or the way you are.
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“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
How you feel about something is through your perception of it—control it and you’ll soon find more authority over your own life.
Summary
Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man during his reign as Roman Emperor—with principles just as compelling.
The quotes above are only a small fraction of all the other great things Marcus has spoken of—all of which can be read in Meditations.
Meditations include much of Marcus’s Beliefs, aforementioned quotes, and much more. If you’re serious about improving your life, I suggest you buy it here.