danielgtaylor 's review for:

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
5.0

Unlike [a:Seneca|4918776|Seneca|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1323208629p2/4918776.jpg], Marcus Aurelius embodied the Stoic philosophy he taught.

Divided into 12 “books,” Meditations follows several themes. Each book is a list of thoughts on those topics, circling around them like a mosquito after blood.

Some of the main ones are:

Face reality. Stop wasting time trying to force life to be something other than it is.

Do the right thing. If something is the right thing to do, then it’s always the right thing to do, and it’s your duty to do it.

Practice self-control. Curb your desires to be free of them and live rationally.

Stoic philosophy underpins today’s world, even if we don’t realize it.

Dr. [a:Stephen R. Covey|1538|Stephen R. Covey|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1321654785p2/1538.jpg] was a Stoic, and his [b:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change|36072|The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Powerful Lessons in Personal Change|Stephen R. Covey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421842784s/36072.jpg|6277] is a guide to living as a Stoic

[a:Ryan Holiday|5775580|Ryan Holiday|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1340390663p2/5775580.jpg] declares himself a Stoic. His book [b:The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph|18668059|The Obstacle Is the Way The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph|Ryan Holiday|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391440316s/18668059.jpg|26493723] teaches you how to live as a Stoic.

Where I see Stoicism having its biggest impact is in the lives of recovering addicts. Stoicism is the basis of 12-step programs.

Common to all 12-step programs is the Serenity Prayer. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” The prayer is a paraphrase of another Stoic philosopher, [a:Epictetus|13852|Epictetus|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1248674258p2/13852.jpg].

A quote from Aurelius sums up the aim of recovery: “To move from one unselfish action to another with God in mind.” (Book 6, No. 7).

By the quality of his life, Aurelius shows that it is possible to live such a life - a noble life.

Now that I’ve read it, this book is one of two books that I recommend everybody read — at least once a year. (And if you want to know, the other one is The 7 Habits.)