The Best Marcus Aurelius quotes

Do every act of your life as though it were the very last act of your life. — Marcus Aurelius

The man who doesn’t know what the universe is doesn’t know where he lives. — Marcus Aurelius

Remember this, that very little is needed to make a happy life. — Marcus Aurelius

Frank McLynn (Marcus Aurelius: A Life) —

No one said life was easy. No one said it would be fair. — Ryan Holiday

He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe. — Marcus Aurelius

Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil. — Marcus Aurelius

Life is a warfare and a stranger’s sojourn, and after fame is oblivion. — Marcus Aurelius

Its a dream, a fearful dream, life is — Marcus Aurelius

Life is opinion. — Marcus Aurelius

Execute every act of thy life as though it were thy last. — Marcus Aurelius

Wherever a man lives, he may live well. — Marcus Aurelius

The universe is transformation; life is opinion. — Marcus Aurelius

To the wise, life is a problem; to the fool, a solution. — Marcus Aurelius

Short is the little which remains to thee of life. Live as on a mountain. — Marcus Aurelius

Don’t let your imagination be crushed by life as a whole. — Marcus Aurelius

He that lives alone lives in danger; society avoids many dangers. — Marcus Aurelius

Life is a campaign, a brief staying in a strange region. — Marcus Aurelius

A person’s life is what their thoughts make it. — Marcus Aurelius

You should banish any thoughts of how you may appear to others. — Marcus Aurelius

Be not unwilling in what thou doest, neither selfish nor unadvised nor obstinate; let not over–refinement deck out thy thought; be not wordy nor a busybody. — Marcus Aurelius

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. — Marcus Aurelius

Since it is possible that you might depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly. — Marcus Aurelius

It is possible to depart from life at this moment. Have this thought in mind whenever you act, speak, or think. — Marcus Aurelius

Purge your mind of all aimless and idle thoughts, especially those that pry into the affairs of others or wish them ill. — Marcus Aurelius

Do not waste the remainder of thy life in thoughts about others, when thou dost not refer thy thoughts to some object of common utility. — Marcus Aurelius

Be not careless in deeds, nor confused in words, nor rambling in thought. — Marcus Aurelius

Dress not thy thoughts in too fine a raiment. And be not a man of superfluous words or superfluous deeds. — Marcus Aurelius

In the morning, when you rise unwillingly, let this thought be present: i am rising to the work of a human being. — Marcus Aurelius

Neither must he use himself to cut off actions only, but thoughts and imaginations also, that are unnecessary for so will unnecessary consequent actions the better be prevented and cut off. — Marcus Aurelius

Death–a stopping of impressions through the senses, and of the pulling of the cords of motion, and of the ways of thought, and of service to the flesh. — Marcus Aurelius

Whatever time you choose is the right time. Not late, not early. — Marcus Aurelius

You must become an old man in good time if you wish to be an old man long. — Marcus Aurelius

Every instant of time… is a pinprick of eternity. — Marcus Aurelius

How very near us stand the two vast gulfs of time, the past and the future, in which all things disappear. — Marcus Aurelius

Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be; just be one. — Donald J

My only fear is doing something contrary to human nature–the wrong thing, the wrong way, or at the wrong time. — Marcus Aurelius

The memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed in time. — Marcus

Be not as one that hath ten thousand years to live; death is nigh at hand: while thou livest, while thou hast time, be good. — Marcus Aurelius

Whatever the universal nature assigns to any man at any time is for the good of that man at that time. — Marcus Aurelius

Limit time to the present. Meditate upon your last hour. — Marcus Aurelius

A little time, and thou shalt close thy eyes; and him who has attended thee to thy grave, another soon will lament. — Marcus Aurelius

If it’s time for you to go, leave willingly–as you would to accomplish anything that can be done with grace and honor. — Marcus Aurelius

How much time he saves who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks. — Marcus Aurelius

No man can escape his destiny, the next inquiry being how he may best live the time that he has to live. — Marcus

Live your life as if you are ready to say goodbye to it at any moment, as if the time left for you were some pleasant surprise. — Marcus Aurelius

You’re better off not giving the small things more time than they deserve. — Marcus Aurelius

He who follows reason in all things is both tranquil and active at the same time, and also cheerful and collected. — Marcus Aurelius

How soon will time cover all things. — Marcus Aurelius

You have a mind?–Yes. Well, why not use it? Isn’t that all you want–for it to do its job?” — Marcus Aurelius

Accustom yourself to attend carefully to what is said by another, and as much as it is possible, try to inhabit the speaker’s mind. — Marcus Aurelius

Happiness is no other than soundness and perfection of mind. — Marcus Aurelius

Nothing that goes on in anyone else’s mind can harm you. — Marcus Aurelius

By a tranquil mind I mean nothing else than a mind well ordered. — Marcus Aurelius

The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. — Marcus Aurelius

To understand the true quality of people, you must look into their minds, and examine their pursuits and aversions. — Marcus Aurelius

Enter others’ minds and let them enter yours. — Marcus Aurelius

Tranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind. — Marcus Aurelius

This thou must always bear in mind, what is the nature of the whole. — Marcus Aurelius

Let your one delight and refreshment be to pass from one service to the community to another, with God ever in mind. — Marcus Aurelius

Practice really hearing what people say. Do your best to get inside their mind. — Marcus Aurelius

Never let the future disturb you–you will meet it with the same weapons of reason and mind that, today, guard you against the present…” — Marcus Aurelius

Accustom yourself not to be disregarding of what someone else has to say: as far as possible enter into the mind of the speaker. — Marcus Aurelius

In the same degree in which a man’s mind is nearer to freedom from all passion, in the same degree also is it nearer to strength. — Marcus Aurelius

Let thy chief fort and place of defense be a mind free from passions. A stronger place and better fortified than this, hath no man. — Marcus Aurelius

Let not your mind run on what you lack as much as on what you have already. — Marcus Aurelius

For any particular thing, ask: What is it in itself? What is its nature? — Marcus Aurelius

This is the chief thing: be not perturbed, for all things are according to the nature of the universal. — Marcus Aurelius

For it is according to nature, and nothing is evil which is according to nature. — Marcus Aurelius

Nature insists on whatever benefits the whole. — Marcus Aurelius

Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else. — Marcus Aurelius

Take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature. — Marcus Aurelius

To a rational being it is the same thing to act according to nature and according to reason. — Marcus Aurelius

Think not disdainfully of death, but look on it with favor; for even death is one of the things that Nature wills. — Marcus Aurelius

Death, like birth, is a secret of Nature. — Marcus Aurelius

Remember: philosophy requires only what your nature already demands. — Marcus Aurelius

A rational nature admits of nothing but what is serviceable to the rest of mankind. — Marcus Aurelius

No one can keep you from living as your nature requires. Nothings can happen to you that is not required by Nature. — Marcus Aurelius

Nature there is no evil to be found. — Marcus Aurelius

To grieve or be angry about or fear what happens to you is to be a fugitive from the law of nature. — Marcus Aurelius

Nothing happens to anybody which he is not fitted by nature to bear. — Marcus Aurelius

Each of us needs what nature gives us, when nature gives us. — Marcus Aurelius

Everything that happens either happens in such a way as you are formed by nature to bear it, or as you are not formed by nature to bear it. — Marcus Aurelius

Nature in no case cometh short of art, for the arts are copiers of natural forms. — Marcus Aurelius

Why should a man have any apprehension about the change and dissolution of all the elements? For it is according to nature, and nothing is evil which is according to nature. — Marcus Aurelius

The world is maintained by change–in the elements and in the things they compose. That” — Marcus Aurelius

Does a man shrink from change? Why, what can come into being save by change? — Marcus Aurelius

All things change, and you yourself are constantly wasting away. So also is the universe. — Marcus Aurelius

Is any man afraid of change? Why what can take place without change? What then is more pleasing or more suitable to the universal nature? — Marcus Aurelius

Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature’s delight. — Marcus Aurelius

Observe constantly that all things take place by change. — Marcus Aurelius

The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it. — Marcus Aurelius

All things are in the act of change; thou thyself in ceaseless transformation and partial decay, and the whole universe with thee. — Marcus Aurelius

Change your attitude to the things that bother you and you will be aware of them. — Marcus Aurelius

Keep constantly in mind in how many things you yourself have witnessed changes already. The universe is change, life is understanding. — Marcus Aurelius

There is change in all things. You yourself are subject to continual change and some decay, and this is common to the entire universe. — Marcus Aurelius

The world is nothing but change. Our life is only perception. — Marcus Aurelius

If you are distressed by something, it is due to your own estimate of it; and you have the power to change it at will. — Marcus Aurelius

If man reflects on the changes and transformations which follow one another like wave after wave and their rapidity, he will despise everything which is perishable. — Marcus Aurelius

Everything is in a state of metamorphosis. Thou thyself art in everlasting change and in corruption to correspond; so is the whole universe. — Marcus Aurelius

All is change. You yourself are continuously changing and being destroyed bit by bit. So is the whole universe. — Marcus Aurelius

The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it. — Marcus Aurelius

Be content with what you are, and wish not change; nor dread your last day, nor long for it. — Marcus Aurelius

Past and future have no power over you. Just the present–and even that can be minimized. — Marcus Aurelius

If it is not right, do not do it: if it is not true, do not say it. For let your impulse be in your own power. — Marcus Aurelius

There is nothing happens to any person but what was in his power to go through with. — Marcus Aurelius

While you live, while it is in your power, be good. — Marcus

For it is in your power to retire into yourself whenever you choose. — Marcus Aurelius

If within the power of another, whom do you blame–atoms or gods? To do either is folly.” — Marcus Aurelius

Consider that everything is opinion, and opinion is in thy power. — Marcus Aurelius

Because your own strength is unequal to a task, do not assume it is beyond the powers of man. — Marcus Aurelius

Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good. — Marcus Aurelius

It is within our power not to make a judgement about something, and so not disturb our minds; for nothing in itself possesses the power to form our judgements. — Marcus Aurelius

You have power over your mind–not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — 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

Don’t let outward appearances mislead you into thinking that someone with more prestige, power or some other distinction must on that account be happy. — Marcus Aurelius

Live not as though there were a thousand years ahead of you. fate is at your elbow; make yourself good while life and power are still yours. — Marcus Aurelius

But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in your power whenever you choose to retire into yourself. — Marcus Aurelius

You shouldn’t give circumstances the power to rouse anger, for they don’t care at all. — Marcus Aurelius

We must press on then, in haste; not simply because every hour brings us nearer to death, but because even before then our powers of perception and comprehension begin to deteriorate. — Marcus Aurelius