Marcus Aurelius Quotes

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor (who ruled from 161 to 180 AD) and a Stoic philosopher, and his work "Meditations" provides a key source of his philosophical insights. His leadership, fundamentalism, and moral values inspire people even today. Here are some of Marcus Aurelius' most famous best and inspiring quotes that offer timeless wisdom and guidance on various aspects of life.

Famous Marcus Aurelius Quotes

ü "The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius

ü "Everything that happens is either endurable or not. If it’s endurable, then endure it. Stop complaining. If it’s unendurable... Then stop complaining. Your destruction will mean its end as well." — Marcus Aurelius

ü Think of all the years passed by in which you said to yourself “I’ll do it tomorrow,” and how the gods have again and again granted you periods of grace which you have not availed yourself. It is time to realize that you are a member of the Universe, that you are born of Nature itself, and to know that a limit has been set to your time. Use every moment wisely, to perceive your inner refulgence, or will be gone and nevermore within your reach. — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The only thing you can control is your actions. Everything else is indifferent. Choose wisely and act virtuously." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The best way to avenge yourself is to not be like that." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The soul of man harms itself, first, when it becomes (as far as it can) a separate growth, a sort of tumor on the universe; because to resent anything that happens is to separate oneself in revolt from Nature, which holds in collective embrace the particular natures of all other things." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The soul of man harms itself, secondly, when it turns away from any man or even moves towards him to harm, such as are the souls of those who are angry." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The biggest risk in life is not taking any risk." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The soul of man harms itself, thirdly, when it is overpowered by pleasure or by pain." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "You always own the option of having no opinion." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "There is but one thing of real value - to cultivate truth and justice, and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men. " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Life is like a game of chess, except the pieces sometimes come to life." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look." — Marcus Aurelius

Best Marcus Aurelius Quotes

ü "Life is neither good nor evil, but only a place for good and evil." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Let not your mind run on what you lack as much as on what you have already." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "To live happily is an inward power of the soul." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Tomorrow is nothing, today is too late; the good lived yesterday." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones. " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Learn from your mistakes, and do not repeat them. But do not dwell on the past, or regret what you have done or not done. Move on, and improve yourself. " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be content to see what you are." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be like the promontory against which the waves continually break, but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it" — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be grateful for what you have, and do not covet what others possess. Happiness is not found in things but in virtue." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be kind, compassionate, and generous to everyone you meet. You do not know what they are going through, or what they have suffered." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The universe changes; our life is what our thoughts make it." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "That which is not good for the bee-hive cannot be good for the bees." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Live by nature, and follow the universal reason that guides all things. You are a part of the whole, and your actions affect the common good. " — Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius Quotes on Life

ü "Life is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the scenery along the way, and do not be attached to the outcome" — Marcus Aurelius

ü "How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it? " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not let your mind wander in the past or the future. Focus on the present moment, for it is the only thing that matters." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "It is not the location or the company that makes something enjoyable, but the state of mind." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "It is your eager expectation and hope that gives you courage in times of trouble." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "It is not the act of doing that makes an action great, but the intention that presides over it." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "It is not the events in our lives that cause us pain, but our thoughts about them." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "It is a man's mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out this judgment now." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his soul." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so. Train your mind to see things as they are, not as you wish them to be."— Marcus Aurelius

ü "Never regard something as doing you good if it makes you betray a trust or lose your sense of shame or makes you show hatred, suspicion, ill-will, or hypocrisy, or a desire for things which are not in your power." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Nothing is more wretched than a man who traverses everything in a round, and pries into the things beneath the earth, as the poet says, and seeks by conjecture what is in the minds of his neighbors, without perceiving that it is sufficient to attend to the daemon within him, and to reverence it sincerely." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Nothing happens to anybody which he is not fitted by nature to bear." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "If it is good to say or do something, then it is even better to be criticized for having said or done it." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "People exist for but a short time, but good deeds live forever." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "permit yourself to idle when you have done what you have to do; when you have finished your tasks." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "I am more interested in what I feel than in what I think." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not waste your time on trivial matters, or on things that are beyond your power. Focus on what is essential and within your reach." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "You are a part of the whole, and the whole is a part of you. What benefits the whole, benefits you. What harms the whole, harms you" — Marcus Aurelius

ü "You are not your body, your possessions, your reputation, or your emotions. You are your reason, your will, and your soul". — Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius Quotes Stoicism

ü "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Your perception of yourself begins to change when you begin to like yourself." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The greatest investment you can make is in yourself." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The impediment to action advances action." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The strength of a woman is to trust herself." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The containers of the soul cannot be selected, but must be received." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "You should consider busy as a daisy instead of a problem." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Your task is to stand straight; not be held straight." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "You are not disturbed by events, but by the opinions you form about them." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "To live a good life: We have the potential for it. If we can learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "A life lived in simplicity, with room to be easy and relaxed, is a life of freedom." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "As it is with a play, so it is with life—what matters is not how long the acting lasts, but how good it is." — Marcus Aurelius

Meditations Marcus Aurelius Quotes

ü "A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Adapt yourself to the life you have been given; and truly love the people with whom destiny has surrounded you." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be swayed by the opinions of others, or by the desire for fame, wealth, or power. These are fleeting and unreliable. Seek the truth, and the good, in yourself and others." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not fear death, or anything else that is inevitable. Death is a natural transition and nothing to be ashamed of." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Death smiles at us all, but all a man can do is smile back." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be disturbed by what others say or do. They act according to their nature, not yours. You can only judge yourself by your standards." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not fear death, for it is inevitable and natural. Fear living a life that is not by your true nature." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not complain about what you cannot change. Accept it with grace and gratitude. Do not neglect what you can change. Improve it with courage and wisdom." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not seek external validation or approval. Seek internal harmony and peace. Do not compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to your ideal self." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Whatever anyone does or says, I must be emerald and keep my color." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "When you have assumed these names—good, modest, truthful, rational, a man of equanimity, and magnanimous—take care that "you do not change these names; and if you should lose them, quickly return to them." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Within you is the power to make anatomy and destiny, to make life what you wish it to be." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "We are not disturbed by things, but by the view which we take of them." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "What stands in the way becomes the way." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "When the world around you appears to be moving rapidly, learn to breathe deeply."— Marcus Aurelius

ü "He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything that happens in life." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "We ought to do good to others as simply and as naturally as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Whatever the universal nature assigns to any man at any time is for the good of that man at that time." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The only thing that some can understand medical get medical get over is your capacity for happiness." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The art of living is more like that of wrestling than of dancing; the main thing is to stand firm and be ready for an unforeseen attack." — Marcus Aurelius

Top Marcus Aurelius Quotes

ü "The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like the wrong-doer." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Remember that very little is needed to make a happy life. " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The blazing fire makes flames and brightness out of everything thrown into it." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The first step: Don’t be anxious. Nature controls it all. And before long you’ll be no one, nowhere - like Hadrian, like Augustus." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "To refrain from imitation is the best revenge. " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The longest-lived and those who will die soonest lose the same thing. The present is all that they can give up since that is all you have, and what you do not have, you cannot lose. " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, in so far as it stands ready against the accidental and the unforeseen, and is not apt to fall." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "To live happily is an inward power of the soul." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "To love only what happens, what was destined. No greater harmony." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The universe is transformation; life is opinion". — Marcus Aurelius

ü "To understand the true quality of people, you must look into their minds, and examine their pursuits and aversions. — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Things are not divided into two categories, good and bad: they are only differently valuable." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "To be capable of willing and acting by the universal has become the new happiness." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "You are a little soul carrying around a corpse." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not judge others, or yourself, by their appearances, words, or actions. Seek to understand their motives and their inner selves." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not waste your time on trivial matters or distractions. Spend your time on what is essential and meaningful. Do not postpone your happiness or your duty. Live fully and faithfully." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be attached to the outcome of your actions. Be attached to the quality of your actions. Do not be attached to the things you have. Be attached to the things you are." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be angry or resentful towards those who wrong you. Be compassionate and forgiving. Do not be jealous of those who have more than you. Be content and generous" — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be afraid of challenges or difficulties. They are opportunities to grow and learn. Do not be discouraged by failures or setbacks. They are lessons to improve and persevere." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be swayed by pleasure or pain. They are temporary and fleeting. Be guided by reason and virtue. They are lasting and fulfilling." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be influenced by the opinions or judgments of others. They are based on their perspective, not the truth. Be confident and authentic. You know yourself better than anyone else." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not let your happiness depend on external things. They are unreliable and impermanent. Find your happiness within yourself. It is stable and enduring." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Good leadership consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "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." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "For it is in your power to retire into yourself whenever you choose." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "When you have assumed these names—good, modest, truthful, rational, a man of equanimity, and magnanimous—take care that you do not change these names; and if you should lose them, quickly return to them." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Objective judgment, now, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. Willing acceptance—now, at this very moment—of all external events. That’s all you need." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Our anger and annoyance are more detrimental to us than the things themselves which anger or annoy us." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible for anyone to accomplish." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Each day provides its gifts." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Create goodness in your soul, and goodness will come to you." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "On the road to success, lies are the greatest obstacles." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Good character is the best Security." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Silly is the one who knows not yet what he might perceive and think." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Everything is possible," and nothing is more possible than to do good." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Fate makes no difference." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Give thyself time to think, to look at things calmly and deliberately, and consult thyself." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be arrogant or prideful. You are not superior or inferior to anyone. You are equal and connected to everyone. Be humble and respectful." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be lazy or idle. You have a limited and precious time on this earth. Make the most of it. Be active and productive." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be selfish or greedy. You have enough and more than you need. Share your abundance with others. Be kind and generous." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be ignorant or dogmatic. You do not know everything and you may be wrong. Seek knowledge and truth. Be curious and open-minded." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not imagine that, if something is hard for you to achieve, it is therefore impossible for any man: but rather consider anything that is humanly possible and appropriate to lie within your reach too." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not think that what is hard for you to master is humanly impossible; and if it is humanly possible, consider it to be within your reach" — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do every act of your life as though it were the very last act of your life." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good. — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Do not be wise in words - be wise in deeds." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Nothing befalls any man which he is not fitted to endure." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injustice." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present. " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "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? " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be humble, and do not think too highly of yourself. But do not be self-deprecating, or think too lowly of yourself. Know your worth and your potential". — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be flexible, and adaptable to changing circumstances. Do not resist what you cannot change, but accept it with grace and wisdom" — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be honest, and do not lie, cheat, or deceive. But do not be harsh, or rude, or hurtful. Speak the truth, but with tact and kindness." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be courageous, and do not be afraid to face challenges, difficulties, or dangers. But do not be reckless, or foolish, or rash. Act with prudence and caution." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be moderate, and do not indulge in excesses, or extremes. But do not be rigid, strict, or austere. Enjoy the pleasures of life but with moderation and balance." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be cheerful, and do not be gloomy, or pessimistic, or cynical. But do not be naive, or gullible, or unrealistic. See the bright side of life but with realism and awareness." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be diligent, and do not be lazy, or idle, or procrastinate. But do not be obsessed, or workaholic, or burnout. Work hard, but with rest." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be curious, and do not be ignorant, closed-minded, or dogmatic. But do not be arrogant, or know-it-all, or pretentious. Learn new things but with humility and openness." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be respectful, and do not be rude, impolite, or disrespectful. But do not be servile, or submissive, or obsequious. Treat others, as you would like to be treated, but with dignity and self-respect." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Be yourself, and do not be fake, hypocritical, or conformist. But do not be eccentric, or rebellious, or antisocial. Express your true self, but with harmony and cooperation." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "If someone can show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed. " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject. " — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Don’t watch the clock, do what it does, keep going." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Don’t expect to find renewal and happiness in things or activities." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your inner voice." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Our life is what our thoughts make it." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "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." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "In a brief existence, both the length of time and the deeds of men are equally vain." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what's left and live it properly." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The most important quality for a leader is not to have all the answers, but to have the courage to seek them." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The happiness of those who want to be popular depends on others; the happiness of those who seek pleasure fluctuates with moods outside their control; but the happiness of the wise grows out of their free acts." — Marcus Aurelius

ü "The measure of success is not whether you’ve climbed the ladder of success but whether you’ve helped others climb." — Marcus Aurelius

Quotes Canvas

Search Suggest