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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
No matter how much we think humanity changes throughout the ages, the criteria for being a genuine and sincere person has always been the same. Humans instinctively hate pretentiousness
Everyone should be like Marcus in reminding themselves that life is unimaginably short and that we should not waste a moment of it
His philosophy was sound, but his theology was impure and false.
Skipped the Notes
Everyone should be like Marcus in reminding themselves that life is unimaginably short and that we should not waste a moment of it
His philosophy was sound, but his theology was impure and false.
Skipped the Notes
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
A truly remarkable insight into the mind of one of the most powerful statesmen in the known history. The book paints a somewhat sad and tormented picture of a noble spirit who, due to his position, would have access to all the luxuries and debaucheries imaginable, but denies them in an attempt to overcome his human weaknesses through continuous self-improvement, and to lead a good life through a strict adherence to the stoic doctrine. While I found myself pitying the author for his self-chastisement for feeling human emotions, I also could not help admiring his commitment to his ideals, and his pledge to use his power to serve the common good to the best of his abilities. I only wish that the clowns running the world right now had even an ounce of the wisdom of Marcus Aurelius.
"Let the god that is within you be the champion of the being you are." (3.5)
"Let the god that is within you be the champion of the being you are." (3.5)
challenging
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
If you really want to dive into Stoicism then you're better off with Seneca. As opposed to Marcus, Seneca engages more in the why and how of stoicism, whereas Marcus is more occupied with keeping himself in line with the Stoic ideals. This is interesting in its own right, but it tells you more about Marcus than it does about Stoicism.
As a sidenote, it is painfully clear that much of the contemporary self-help slop has been dishonestly derived from Marcus' reflections by removing most of its esoteric and religious background: the Stoics were not Stoic because they believed that emotions are futile, annoying and unbecoming of human rationality, but because their belief in the Whole - a kind of spiritual collective with divine deterministic elements - necessarily results in the belief that everything happens for a reason [and that therefore complaint is useless]. This facet of Stoic philosophy has, sadly, mostly been disregarded by those who now use it to justify their emotional deadness. The Stoic stance is inextricable from Stoic religious/spiritual beliefs and doesn't, in my opinion, fare well without that worldview.
As a sidenote, it is painfully clear that much of the contemporary self-help slop has been dishonestly derived from Marcus' reflections by removing most of its esoteric and religious background: the Stoics were not Stoic because they believed that emotions are futile, annoying and unbecoming of human rationality, but because their belief in the Whole - a kind of spiritual collective with divine deterministic elements - necessarily results in the belief that everything happens for a reason [and that therefore complaint is useless]. This facet of Stoic philosophy has, sadly, mostly been disregarded by those who now use it to justify their emotional deadness. The Stoic stance is inextricable from Stoic religious/spiritual beliefs and doesn't, in my opinion, fare well without that worldview.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Meditations is the collection of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius' thoughts during his reign. I put this book down in favor of another philosophy book that I have also reviewed, being Poetics by Aristotle. Why did I do this? Because I was not interested in this book, to be frank. It was only after a recommendation from a friend piqued by interest for this book, and I began to take it seriously.
It is unexplainable the amount of knowledge this book holds, and how it will change the way you view the world and people around you. This book, despite being written by one man with no thought in his mind about this ever being published, gives out expert outlooks on studies like justice, morality, ethics, and natural philosophy as a whole. Aurelius' thoughts on how we view people, judge them, make assumptions about them, and punish them has ultimately changed my own personal outlook on mankind for the better and less judgmental.
This is a mere collection of thoughts, with notes, appendixes, introductions and other nonsense taking up about 2/3 of the books length, but the one third that is actually Meditations, it is absolutely worth the day or two it takes for you to read this. You will feel a sense of newfound hope for humanity, new thought processes that will restore your faith in life, and how to achieve eternal humility and humbleness. A must-read for those getting into philosophy and for those who want meaning.
It is unexplainable the amount of knowledge this book holds, and how it will change the way you view the world and people around you. This book, despite being written by one man with no thought in his mind about this ever being published, gives out expert outlooks on studies like justice, morality, ethics, and natural philosophy as a whole. Aurelius' thoughts on how we view people, judge them, make assumptions about them, and punish them has ultimately changed my own personal outlook on mankind for the better and less judgmental.
This is a mere collection of thoughts, with notes, appendixes, introductions and other nonsense taking up about 2/3 of the books length, but the one third that is actually Meditations, it is absolutely worth the day or two it takes for you to read this. You will feel a sense of newfound hope for humanity, new thought processes that will restore your faith in life, and how to achieve eternal humility and humbleness. A must-read for those getting into philosophy and for those who want meaning.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced