Reviews

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

dariatomescu29's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5/4

this was like an alpha buff gym bro giving me life lessons and advice ...

BUT INCREDIBLE OMG

daankrommevrucht's review

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inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Reading the personal notes of Aurelius is interesting to get to understand a Roman stoic emperor who secretly just wanted to be a philosopher. 

dreiac's review against another edition

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4.0

So much wisdom. A must read.

ecclesias's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

belleb1401's review

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inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.75

athousandgreatbooks's review

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4.0

Written for none but his own eyes, Meditations contain pithy statements and passages that Aurelius wrote and accrued over the years to keep himself (and his 'directing mind') in check in times of distress as well as peace, and not to be swayed by either of them.

The book has various treatises on subjects like Death, Virtue, Time, the incorruptibility of the Mind, the Nature of the Universe - all good Stoic stuff. It is a quiet, easy read but one that requires to be re-read time and time again.

It is easy to see how so many self-help books may be inspired by these timeless Meditations of Aurelius, though in my consideration they do a paltry job by rounding off the rough edges that makes this aphoristic journal so profound. It is perhaps the most recognized book of Stoic philosophy. As my first book of 2020, I think it quite propitious that I should begin the year with Stoicism.

Also, love this quote: (When analyzing) What is this thing in itself, in its own constitution? What are its elements of substance and material, and of cause? What is its function in the world? What is its duration?

phinn01's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

jcianca's review

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challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

emilija0301's review against another edition

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informative inspiring slow-paced

3.0

klowwie's review

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technically I haven’t read this in its entirety, but this is one that doesn’t need to be read straight through imo. marcus clearly had never heard of depression but he’s often helpful regardless