Marcus Aurelius, born on April 26, 121, in Italy, was a Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. He ruled alongside his brother Lucius Verus and later his son Commodus. Beyond his political prominence, he was known for his philosophical interests, particularly in Stoicism. Here are 34 inspirational quotes attributed to Marcus Aurelius:
1. “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
2. “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”
3. “If it is not right, do not do it, if it is not true, do not say it.”
4. “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”
5. “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
6. “Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.”
7. “Do not try to be on the side of the majority, but live according to your inner laws.”
8. “A man’s worth is no greater than his ambitions.”
9. “The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away.”
10. “Do every act of your life as if it were your last.”
11. “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts; therefore guard accordingly.”
12. “Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question, what fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize.”
13. “Man should fear never beginning to live.”
14. “Loss is nothing else but change and change is nature’s delight.”
15. “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
16. “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
17. “It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinions than our own.”
18. “Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up if thou wilt ever dig.”
19. “Reject your sense of injury and the injury disappears.”
20. “Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible.”
21. “Each day provides its own gifts.”
22. “Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what’s left, and live it properly.”
23. “Confine yourself to the present.”
24. “Everything that happens happens as it should, and if you observe carefully you will find this to be so.”
25. “We live only now. Everything else is either passed or is unknown.”
26. “My true self is free, it cannot be contained.”
27. “The best answer to anger is silence.”
28. “The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.”
29. “A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.”
30. “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.”
31. “How much time he saves who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks.”
32. “Let not your mind run on what you lack as much as on what you have already.”
33. “You must become an old man in good time if you wish to be an old man long.”
These quotes reflect Marcus Aurelius’s wisdom, emphasizing themes such as self-reflection, perseverance, and living a virtuous life.
