Injustice is a kind of blasphemy. Nature designed rational beings for each other’s sake: to help — not harm — one another, as they deserve. […]
And to lie is to blaspheme against it too, because “nature” means the nature of that which is […] so that nature is synonymous with Truth […]
And to pursue pleasure as good, and flee from pain as evil—that too is blasphemous. […] To fear pain is to fear something that’s bound to happen, the world being what it is.
Some things nature is indifferent to; if it privileged one over the other it would hardly have created both. And if we want to follow nature, to be of one mind with it, we need to share its indifference. To privilege pleasure over pain—life over death, fame over anonymity—is clearly blasphemous.
Nature certainly doesn’t.
- Death simply is a natural course for all things. All things die, and the best response is to welcome it.
- Consider that beliefs are inherently meaningless. Praise is inherently meaningless. We will all die.
It were indeed more happy and comfortable, for a man to depart out of this world, having lived all his life long clear from all falsehood, dissimulation, voluptuousness, and pride. But if this cannot be, yet it is some comfort for a man joyfully to depart as weary, and out of love with those; rather than to desire to live, and to continue long in those wicked courses.
Don’t look down on death, but welcome it. It too is one of the things required by nature. […]
The only thing that could make us want to stay here: the chance to live with those who share our vision; But now? Look how tiring it is—this cacophony we live in. Enough to make you say to death, “Come quickly. Before I start to forget myself, like them. 1 2
- Commission and Omission are both sins not just to others, but to yourself.
He that sinneth, sinneth unto himself.
He that is unjust, hurts himself, in that he makes himself worse than he was before.
Not he only that commiteth, but he also that omitteth something, is oftentimes unjust.
To wipe away fancy, to use deliberation, to quench concupiscence, to keep the mind free to hersellf.
- We share one soul — one logos that governs the Universe. It flows and springs in all things around us.
- All rational things are drawn towards each other. All things, in fact, follow the same principle.
For sooner mayst thou find a thing earthly, where no earthly thing is, than find a man that naturally can live by himself alone.
- The rational approach: Be patient with others for even the Universe is patient with us for our misgivings.
Sift their minds and understandings, and behold what men they be, whom thou dost stand in fear of what they shall judge of thee, what they themselves judge of themselves.
It is not thine, but another man’s sin. Why should it trouble thee? Let him look to it, whose sin it is.
- Work simply to fulfill one’s duty and purpose in life. Nothing more.
Today I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions—not outside.
Endless suffering—all from not allowing the mind to do its job. Enough
Many of those things that trouble and straighten thee, it is in thy power to cut off as wholly depending from mere conceit and opinion, and then thou shalt have room enough.
Not being done to, but doing—the source of good and bad for rational and political beings. Where their own goodness and badness is found—not in being done to, but in doing. 3 4
Not to let go of philosophy, no matter what happens; not to bandy words with crackpots and philistines—good rules for any philosopher.
Concentrate on what you’re doing, and what you’re doing it with.
- Conformity to Society is the natural order of things. This follows from how all things were designed with order in mind, and rational beings tend to congregate. 5
You participate in a society by your existence. Then participate in its life through your actions—all your actions. Any action not directed toward a social end (directly or indirectly) is a disturbance to your life, an obstacle to wholeness, a source of dissension
Do what nature demands. Get a move on—if you have it in you—and don’t worry whether anyone will give you credit for it. And don’t go expecting Plato’s Republic; be satisfied with even the smallest progress, and treat the outcome of it all as unimportant.
The effect of true philosophy is, unaffected simplicity and modesty. Persuade me not to ostentation and vainglory.
- There are only two possibilities. Order — in which case, all is well as it is intended, or Chaos — in which case, it is futile to resist.
Start praying like this and you’ll see.
Not “some way to sleep with her”—but a way to stop wanting to.
Not “some way to get rid of him”—but a way to stop trying.
Not “some way to save my child”—but a way to lose your fear.
Redirect your prayers like that, and watch what happens. 6
- Is a world without negativity possible? If not, then don’t ask for the impossible—that negativity be removed from the world.
- Bear in mind that we have the capacity to counter this negativity.
- Bear in mind this negativity cannot harm you if you do not think of yourself harmed.
Every wrongdoer is doing something wrong — doing something the wrong way.
Yes, boorish people do boorish things. What’s strange or unheard-of about that? Isn’t it yourself you should reproach—for not anticipating that they’d act this way?
The logos gave you the means to see it—that a given person would act a given way—but you paid no attention. And now you’re astonished that he’s gone and done it.
Whereas humans were made to help others. And when we do help others—or help them to do something—we’re doing what we were designed for. We perform our function.
Links
Footnotes
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As remarked by Aurelius — “Every transformation is a kind of dying.”, Death, ergo, is nothing but a transformation. 2 ↩
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The reasoning here can be tied with a nihilistic view. Death in itself is meaningless as processes of Nature by themselves have no meaning. Coupled with the idea that life is perception, and it gives a comforting realization that death is just nature running its course, and nothing that mattered is lost. ↩ ↩2
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In other words, it is not what others say about us that defines us, but what we do. ↩
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Like a rock thrown in the air—gaining nothing by going up, gaining nothing by going down. ↩
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Aurelius’ argument in passage XXXIII is a bit weak. He essentially says “How could one suggest Nature does not intend good?”, while not providing anything to suppose otherwise. Though, this likely boils down to the “logos” that we share with Nature. ↩
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Pray for the things that you have control over to begin with. In fact, better to not be reliant on the Gods or Providence for at best they may help and at worst they may be indifferent. ↩