nonfiction, philosophy, classicsThe
last time I read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations was as part of an
assignment in college. I enjoyed it then, and I enjoyed revisiting it
now in this more modern translation (by Gregory Hays).
Written as a journal, I
often wonder what he would think about people pondering his own
self-reflective journey generations later. Mostly, I find myself amazed
by how similar his worries and concerns are to those of people today-
finding your place in the universe, morals and ethics, understanding the
difference between those things that are in your control and those that
aren’t, and of course how to understand and accept death.
It’s
kind of wonderful to know that regardless of time or place, we all think
about the same things. It makes the world feel smaller in some way, to
know that all of us continue to search for wisdom. I think the book that
I enjoyed the most each time I’ve read Meditations is Book 1, when
Marcus Aurelius takes the time to think about the people that are important
in his life and recognize the gifts he has received from each of them-
that strikes me as a very powerful thought exercise. I wish more of us
took the time to do that.
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