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Meditations: A New Translation?
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Just a heads up, the paperback version on the Amazon link doesn't appear to be the Hays translation. I ordered after seeing your post (thanks!) and used this link:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0812968255/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Might want to edit in smile. before your link as well so charity gets some $$$. :)
First, a quote: "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
Second, seriously, buy the book of wisdom about him. I promise you it's on the shelf with dog-eared pages of every successful person you'll ever meet.
Third, don't worry about the world ending. It's not, it won't.
You're living in literally (literally) the safest, most prosperous time in all of human history. You're fine. Shit is fine.
Get of social media. You're being mislead by dumb people saying dumb things about stuff they don't, nor ever will, understand.
You're just being subjected to the information overload fallacy. That's all.
You think what your read is real. It's not. Example, gun violence in America has fallen to all time historic lows, but reporting on gun violence in the last 20 years has increased 300%. So people think there's some crisis now, when it's the safest it's ever been.
You're fine. The planet is fine. The US is fine. Go enjoy life.
I have this version. It is great. Whenever I read a passage from it I have to sit back and think for a while because it blows my mind.
OP, I think you will benefit from reading it. It uses plain English. Here it is on amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255
The Meditations, fortunately, have been widely published and are almost certainly available in your native language.
I got the paperback edition just cause I like having physical copies of things, but I think the kindle one is free
I have this one and found it quite easy to follow: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=meditations+marcus+aurelius&qid=1627377611&sprefix=meditations&sr=8-1
The Hays translation of Meditations might work for you: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255
Written in a more modern writing style but keeps a lot of the insights intact. Like you I have trouble reading philosophy books for attention reasons but this one worked for me 🙂
Hmm this is not on the genre you asked but I would advice to give him meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Stoicism has been a Philosophy that has helped me throughout my life in any given situation. Another one would be The wisdom of the enneagram by don Richard Riso, two of the best books I’ve ever read.
Again this is not the genre you asked for but it’s my two cents, both of them helped me to find a profound knowledge of myself my soul and my psyche and all 3 of this are infinite.
Best of luck
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
It is written by the man himself and filled with a lot of stoic wisdom that has become the basis for many of today's self help books. As a former military man it might strike a chord with him. It also doesn't come across as a "self-help" book since it is basically Marcus's personal reflections to himself.
Sure thing! Make sure you order the paperback version - supposedly amazon likes to change translations depending on what format you pick.
Is it this one? I see a few different translations on Amazon
My drinking problem ended abruptly one night after reading "meditations" by Marcus Aurelius, one of the top emperors of the Roman Empire. It hasn't come back, 8 years later. I had a period of about a month feeling like I was floating because all my stress had vanished.
If your stress comes back, maybe give it a try: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2U748ZE846QIM&keywords=meditations+hays&qid=1645398276&sprefix=meditations+hays%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-1
I'm very sorry to hear this, its a tremendous loss for you.
I also have aspergers and there's a book that helped me significantly when I didn't know how to cope. Its written by Marcus Aurelius, who was one of the top emperors of the Roman Empire when he was facing very difficult wartime circumstances. You can find it here:
Oh, I get that. When I had to write a lot at work, the amount of reading I did dropped completely. When you do read it, I highly suggest The Gregory Hayes translation (this one. So much easier to read and it's easier to get the good stuff out of it.
You might wanna take it back a step on yourself. Sounds like you might be burning yourself out. Try to keep things in perspective. We peak and we die. All of us are gonna lose the ability to do this one day. We weren't meant to keep it. I propose that being unwilling to be at peace with the reality you are 36 with injury concerns is more of a weakness than not beating 20 year old white belts. I'm not saying accept you're old cause you aren't really but at some point you need to make peace with the order of things. Focus on you and the things you can control, less on the things you can't. You'll get better and you'll get worse. Maybe this a cliche recommendation but whatever....Meditations
The verbage is modern but there are a lot of references to people, places, and things that I have no idea what they are. Luckily i'm on Kindle so you can look words up straight from the text but having to stop every second sentence to find out who plutarchraties was and it turns out he was just some friend of a friend instead of an actual historical figure gets old quick.
For reference, I picked the ([ttps://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=the+meditations&qid=1637162781&qsid=137-4828272-0280434&sr=8-3&sres=0812968255%2CB097C299F4%2C1541673859%2C195157026X%2CB004INMVDY%2C0140449337%2C1545565678%2C0857088467%2C0141395869%2CB073T331XJ%2CB09KNGFFNX%2C173447548X%2CB01M8NT3IX%2CB07C7N5SKX%2C1441337385%2CB09KN9WRBQ&srpt=ABIS_BOOK](one up on amazon) partially because it said "new translation" and partially because it was a dollar. Like I said, if I keep reading it and I don't think I'm pulling out anything useful, I'll try a different version or an annotated one.
Regardless, I appreciate the support and the chat. Thanks!
>don’t start with meditations or Epictetus as it’s written in the old style and a bit harder to digest.
This depends entirely on the translation! Meditations was one of my first introductions to Stoicism and it can be a great one if you choose an accessible, contemporary translation without a lot of thees and thous. Gregory Hays is good.
This book permanently ended my anxiety and drinking problem overnight:
I have been where you are and managed to painstakingly turn around my awful mornings by: 1. Exercise as soon as you wake up - I’m not gonna lie, this fucking sucks, or at least the prospect of it does. Once you’re doing it and once you get into it you’ll be on cloud 9. Just body weight stuff or running etc. No gym equipment required. 2. A great book to reflect on…well everything is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Really helps to put things into perspective and the fact all of this humble gold was written by the most powerful man in the world nearly 2000 years ago and still applies today is pretty fucking awesome.
You seem troubled. I’ve had a brief look through your post history, and it seems that you have quite a lot of anxiety. You even seem confused at times.
Have you ever considered reading Mediations by Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hays Translation)?
Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library Classics) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_AF18P5SK7MZKY9Z5KXXB?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I believe that a lot of your questions could be answered by reading it.
Nothing changed my life more than reading the Emperor of Rome's personal journal.
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is philosophies most concise treatise on how to be good, how to focus on what you can control, and how to accept the rest that you can't control.
The Gregory Hays translation has always felt the most true to how I imagine one writing reflective notes to oneself, direct and clear, as Marcus was doing for himself while far away encamped in rough battlefield lodgings trying to remind himself to stay true to his highest intentions.
This particular passage isn't the best example, but here it is:
"Keep reminding yourself of the way things are connected, of their relatedness. All things are implicated in one another an in sympathy with each other. This event is the consequence of some other one. Things push and pull on each other, and breathe together, and are one."
Many members of this sub recommend the Gregory Hays translation. I find it to be easy for modern readers to understand while maintaining the meaning of what Marcus Aurelius intended.
Amazon, though, somehow jumbles up different translations for the same title (based on the reviews), so it wouldn't be my first choice. I bought an eBook copy on Kobo, myself.
Not sure if linking is allowed but that should be it. Make sure you order the paperback version as that was the one I selected!
I have two different editions of Meditations. My favorite one is Meditations: A New Translation
The introduction is very well written and gives you some extra background on what shaped Aurelius. Translation itself is easy to read and uses modern English.
Sounds a lot like Stoicism. I'd suggest taking a look at the book "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. Marcus Aurelius was known as the philosopher king and was the last of the Five Great Emperors of Rome.
Ha, what are the odds! Haven't been on this sub since I got rid off /u/lonelolily.
You too, bud! Check out /r/stoicism or the Meditations (Hays version is the best) if you ever fall short of your ambitions. It's helped me a lot, especially getting rid of misplaced guilt and self-pity.
Meandering musings - mostly organizing my own thoughts.
LONG TERM - 6 to 24months
Crypto markets have a lot more liquidity sloshing around compared to the peak of the last bull, but they still represent a fractional amount of what's present in even tiny legacy finance ones. Substantial violent moves like what we saw on 08/01 are possible when liquidity remains thin. This is likely to slowly change as capital inflows expand liquidity.
The macro trend is flight from fiat due to BRRRRR. Alternative assets--equities, metals, crypto--are likely to all appreciate. Most of this will be parked in BTC & Ether--witness the gigantic flows into Greyscale's products.
The above will be compounding what appears to be shaping as the bull market cycle of 2021 - 2022/23, hat tip /u/intothecryptoverse, see: Ether's log-scale valuation from inception, super-imposed to BTC's from inception.
This will be additionally compounded by DeFi products iterating at break-neck speed and L2 solutions becoming increasingly viable. Shit is janky, but it's undoubtedly the future. Innovation is mushrooming--what's lagging is the attention span & knowledge base of money managers playing in outdated sandboxes. This is where alpha is generated, and we're incredibly lucky to be early on.
TLDR: Overall bullish pending severe RealWorld crises that provoke massive risk-off consolidations. We should be methodically thinking about exit planning, tax issues & the rest of the logistical implications of a successful thesis playing out.
Given the hectic reaction to a price jump of about $150, the most applicable pieces of advice seem to be:
- Find a way to do some goddamn squats
- Read this every other day EDIT: courtesy of u/dashby1 - Meditations.pdf
- Sort the major components of your well-being out: sleeping, diet, relationships
Project: get your emotions in check.
SHORT TERM - 1 to 6 months
- The current consolidation is precisely what we should be looking for if we expect further appreciation through the rest of the year. Choppy trading allows overheated RSIs to cool off & new supports to lock in. Profit taking after substantial run-ups is both expected as well as healthy.
- Attempting to time major ETH or BTC moves here strikes me as brave and/or foolish. Margin plays doubly so. IF you're dabbling, tight stops. I'd recommend instead getting more & more familiar w/ various kinds of yield farming plays & placing small bets on DeFi moonshots if you're looking to increase crypto/ETH exposure.
- I expect a few weeks worth of ranging, followed by another rapid ascent to the $550 - $750 area, where there's quite a bit of resistance & more profit taking is likely.
TLDR: Short-term trading & margin remain dangerous. If you don't know how to use the major DeFi plantforms (Compound, Aave, pooling on Uniswap & Balancer, just to begin with) then you're behind the curve & should consider investing time & resources in catching up.
Good luck to all, & godspeed.
Out of the books I read, these were my favorite.
- Meditations
- The Effective Executive
- Managing Humans
- The New One Minute Manager
- How To Win Friends and Influence People
I suppose these focus less on "leadership" so much as management. But they are all helpful when it comes to thinking about being a leader.
I also can't stress enough the importance of being introspective, and taking the time for self reflection. It's crucial that you be able to take a look at yourself, and see how your actions affect others. How you make others feel. Things like that. I know that's not particularly helpful, but I guess all I can say is do whatever makes the most sense for you to make yourself a more empathetic human being.
MOTD #9: The three things you need at this very moment.
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? checkout these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
As always if you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in a future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where every you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #15: “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? checkout these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
As always if you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in a future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where every you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #2: "If you’d only let go of the past, entrust the future to Providence, and guide the present toward reverence and justice."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? checkout these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
As always if you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in a future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where every you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #50: "Today I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions—not outside.”
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #70: "The best revenge is not to be like your enemy."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
Read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, The Future of Freedom by Fareed Zakria, and even though it's fiction, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy covers a lot of the topics you mentioned.
W&P is a bit infamous but when you start reading it there's a good chance you'll get hooked, I found it to be a real page turner.
/r/Stoicism has a few links in their sidebar that gets a lot of praise for being a good introduction.
Now, just for an introduction, I'd start with this. It's just a basic run down of the philosophy and would definitely be helpful to read through.
Another good introduction if you've got an hour or so is this talk done by History Professor Dr. Michael Sugrue.
If you're still interested by this point, I'd see if you could get a copy of Meditations by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius on your hands. My public library has a copy, but I found that attempting to read it in one or two readings like you would any other book isn't the best course of action. In other words, you'd hate it.
It's far better to read some, put it down and take some time to think about what he said, then continue reading after you've digested his words. If you just go straight through it, a lot of the information gets jumbled up. I'd either use a digital copy (like this one) or buy your own copy (off of amazon or the like).
Jim?
Hays tr.: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255
Hard tr.: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-selected-correspondence-Oxford-Classics/dp/0199573204
Links go to the American Amazon store.
"If anyone can refute me— show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective— I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance." Meditations, Number 21 Book 6 (Gregory Hays translation)
I actually got into a discussion with some folks about that quote; they were suggesting that it is a bit self-contradictory. Turns out the term "perspective" tends to bring in a modern sense of subjectivity that makes it seem self-contradictory (i.e. "are any perspectives wrong? Or just different ways of looking at the same thing?"). Not a debate Aurelius was intending there, I don't think. So, to supplement, below are the two other translations of the same bit, with less ambiguity there.
"If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in thought or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which never yet hurt anybody. It is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance which does harm." Maxwell Staniforth translation
"If someone can prove me wrong and show me my mistake in any thought or action, I shall gladly change. I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone: the harm is to persist in one's on self-deception and ignorance." Martin Hammond translation (I picked this up at a used bookstore—can't find it on Amazon offhand...)
On the subject of translations, I'm no Greek scholar so I can't offer an informed opinion on which is most "accurate to intent." For easy reading I prefer the Gregory Hays one, and so it is the one I recommend to people interested in reading Meditations for the first time (and which is why it is the one I generally "quote"). But if you love Meditations is much as I do, my next recommendation would be to read every translation you can get your hands on.
EDIT: Links to books of each translation.
MOTD #40 "Remember: you shouldn't be surprised that a fig tree produces figs, nor the world what it produces."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #48: "Nothing happens to anyone that he can't endure."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
Marcus Aurelius - Meditations - He's a Roman emperor, but his thought practices are heavily based on Greek Stoicism.
Plato's Republic - This one is more about the discipline required from individuals for society to thrive as a whole, but he's a Greek philosopher, so it's an interesting read in that regard. Plato thought that Sparta's militaristic-discipline style of society was really neat, which is evident in this book.
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/ref=pd_lpo_14_t_0/144-6026304-7578803?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0812968255&pd_rd_r=3c0c10b0-31d2-4232-ac63-65b49110b8f4&pd_rd_w=4zLhc&pd_rd_wg=GokA7&pf_rd_p=337be819-13af-4fb9-8b3e-a5291c097ebb&pf_rd_r=X3GM2KYEYN7P8JXDHN0R&psc=1&refRID=X3GM2KYEYN7P8JXDHN0R pen, and highlighter read. This helped me a lot. Also seeing a therapist
I have to admit my bias: that's obviously my goal. With this project I executed what I thought to be the most effective course of action, not for making money (writing is the wrong business for that), but in terms of reaching readers and other scholars. That said, I think the future of not just philosophy, but also education and reading in general has to be in the open-source movement.
Technologically, sites like Itch.io (an open-source Humble Bundle clone) and Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing / CreateSpace are making self-publishing a reality in a way that it wasn't even 3 or 4 years ago. People are much more willing to use PayPal or even a credit card for small transactions. However, you still need a LOT of technical skill in Photoshop, HTML/CSS, and Word to make it happen. Dealing with styles, footnotes through Zotero, formatting, and layout took nearly as much time as actually writing, and I have held design jobs before, too! Tools like the Magic Book Project are exactly the kind of thing that needs to happen (although I have not yet tried it, fair warning). It will only get easier, and I hope that inspires people to write more because they and the world will both be better off for it.
Creatively, I hope to continue the work of philosopher Pierre Hadot and 'revive' philosophy as a form of spiritual exercise, a way of life. The best way in my mind is to show philosophy in action, rather than explaining it. It's just an idea, and if you can't make your reader actually experience that idea, then what good will it do them to understand it? Ideas are meant to be used, and to do this they have to be felt. I have tried to accomplish this end through using stories, dialogues, and more modern styles of essay, rather than a dry academic tone. Great examples of this are of course Aurelius' <em>Meditations</em> and the modern <em>Philosophy Shop</em>.
Culturally, the academic world (especially in the humanities) only has a future if it fully embraces not only more lenient copyright and distribution practices, but also begins to accept the work of 'non-professional' scholars. There is a shift going on already, but the entire philosophical community is stilted by its current state, especially in the eyes of the general public. If more people self-published open-source, we could get kids excited and remedy or prevent any (misguided) conceptions of philosophy as fluffy or boring. Philosophy has always been focused on action, and it's time for the academic world to take some of their own and adapt.
These changes are already in motion, and with a little effort, interest and support in philosophy will naturally follow. I am working on an academic paper that argues these three points in more depth, a kind of 'debrief' of the book itself.
Hope somewhere in there I actually answered your question!
This one says ships and sold by Amazon! It’s the translation everyone is raving about.
Meditations: A New Translation https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2TvmAbXH1K86Y
MOTD #13: "We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? checkout these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
As always if you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in a future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where every you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #34: "The first step: Don’t be anxious. Nature controls it all."
Special thanks to u/sqaz2wsx for sending me a list of stoic quotes :) Really appreciate it. If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime.
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
Have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #36: "That pain is neither unbearable nor unending, as long as you keep in mind its limits and don't magnify them in your imagination."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #65: "Self-contraction: the mind's requirements are satisfied by doing what we should, and by the calm it brings us."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #71: “If anyone can refute me—show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective—I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone.”
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
if you like buddhism you might also like stoicism. i read buddhist stuff for years and liked it a lot (esp "The Wise Heart"). i felt like getting into stoicism made buddhism more complete.
the are basically the same thing, but from the western point of view. i dont control what happens to me only how i react what happens to me. also , just accept that life is suffering.
this version of "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius is good (black book with red bird on cover). your local book store might even have it.
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/
youtube also has several videos on stocism i found very helpful.
this one is dark, but funny
I highly recommend this translation and Introduction essay of the meditations by Gregory Hays
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255
Try Philosophy if you are a deep thinker.
I would say Meditations by Marcus Aurelius would be your best starting point. The translation by Gregory Hays is available on Amazon. It is his personal diary in which he writes his thoughts and reminds himself to follow the Stoic philosophy he was taught. There are a lot of good quotes about suffering and taking action that you should be able to relate too.
Also How To Think Like A Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson (also on Amazon), links the biography of Marcus with current CBT therapy ideas (I am currently reading this now).
Hoopla has an audiobook copy translated by George Long and Narrorated by Robin Homer for free.
Before reading, you can watch this great summary which will help you digest and understand what you are reading.
Or, you can buy Meditations: A New Translation which was made to be accessible to laymen and is pretty cheap
Yeah, I'm reading currently the stoic Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius' book and it's been a big help :)
Came here to suggest exactly this, in my favorite translation here
Since it's Marcus Aurelius who impressed you so much, you should check out all the Roman stoics.
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is one of the most popular works of philosophy, so naturally there are a plethora of translations. Here are just a few translations: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Penguin-Classics-Hardcover-Aurelius/dp/0141395869/
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Hackett-Classics-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0915145790/
Also check out the three other "Roman" Stoics Epictetus, Seneca, and Cicero
Epictetus: https://www.amazon.com/Discourses-Fragments-Handbook-Oxford-Classics/dp/0199595186
Seneca: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Penguin-Classics-Lucius-Annaeus/dp/0140442103/ https://www.amazon.com/Dialogues-Essays-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199552401/
Cicero was a Sceptic yet wrote some Stoic works: https://www.amazon.com/Obligations-Officiis-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199540713/ https://www.amazon.com/Life-Death-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199644144/
As for the Epicureans, first there is Epicurus himself, as well as Lucretius' On the Nature of Things, which put the Epicurean poetry into fine Latin poetry.
Epicurus: https://www.amazon.com/Epicurus-Reader-Selected-Writings-Testimonia/dp/0872202410/
Lucretius in Prose: https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Things-Lucretius/dp/0872205878
Lucretius in Poetry: https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Universe-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199555141
The only works of Sceptics that still survive are Sextus Empiricus and Cicero, who represent diametrically opposed versions of Scepticism. Cicero is happy to accept something as probable, while Sextus is staunchly opposed to the idea that one argument is more persuasion than another.
Sextus Empiricus: https://www.amazon.com/Sextus-Empiricus-Scepticism-Cambridge-Philosophy/dp/0521778093/ https://www.amazon.com/Sextus-Empiricus-Selections-Writings-Scepticism/dp/087220006X/
Cicero: https://www.amazon.com/Academic-Scepticism-Hackett-Classics/dp/0872207749/ https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Gods-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199540063/
The works of the early Stoics and Sceptics are unfortunately lost, and only survive in fragments: https://www.amazon.com/Hellenistic-Philosophers-Vol-Translations-Philosophical/dp/0521275563/ https://www.amazon.com/Hellenistic-Philosophy-Hackett-Classics-Inwood/dp/0872203786
The Cynics left no writings, but there were things written about them: https://www.amazon.com/Cynic-Philosophers-Diogenes-Penguin-Classics/dp/0141192224 https://www.amazon.com/Diogenes-Cynic-Sayings-Anecdotes-Moralists/dp/0199589240/
Plutarch was a Platonist but still reflects concerns in practical ethics: https://www.amazon.com/Essays-Penguin-Classics-Plutarch/dp/0140445641/
There is plenty of secondary literature, too much to lift all of it here, but here's a few suggestions:
For Hellenistic Philosophy in general, try:
Hellenistic Philosophy: Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics by A.A. Long
The Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy
Hellenistic Philosophy by John Sellars
Pursuits of Wisdom: Six Ways of Life in Ancient Philosophy from Socrates to Plotinus by John M. Cooper
​
For the Stoics, try:
The Art of Living: The Stoics on the Nature and Function of Philosophy by John Sellars
Stoicism by John Sellars
The Stoic Life: Emotions, Duties, and Fate by Tad Brennan
Stoicism: A Very Short Introduction by Brad Inwood
Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor by Frank McLynn
The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius by Pierre Hadot
The Roman Stoics: Self, Responsibility, and Affection by Gretchen Reydams-Schils
Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life by A.A. Long
The Philosophy of Epictetus by Theodore Scaltsas and Andrew S. Mason
​
For the Epicureans, try:
Epicureanism: A Very Short Introduction by Catherine Wilson
Epicurus: An Introduction by J. M. Rist
The Cambridge Companion to Epicureanism
Epicurus and the Epicurean Tradition
​
For the Sceptics, try:
Ancient Scepticism by Harald Thorsrud
The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Scepticism
The Original Sceptics: A Controversy by Myles Burnyeat and Michael Frede
The Sceptics by R.J. Hankinson
Pyrrho, His Antecedents, and His Legacy by Richard Bett
The Philosophy of Antiochus by David Sedley
Cicero: The Philosophy of a Roman Sceptic by Raphael Woolf
​
For the Cynics, see:
Cynics by William Desmond
The Cynics by R. Bracht Branham and M.-O. Goulet-Cazé
A History Of Cynicism From Diogenes To The 6th Century A.D by Donald R. Dudley
Did you google it? Was literally the first thing that came up for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255
Watch that Arnold video each morning. And when you feel yourself slipping.
This version of Meditations is the best translation. If you dont know Marcus, he was the last of the good Roman Emperors and this book is a collection of his writings to himself in his private journal. But they are so deep and viable today. Some of my favorite passages
​
- Not to be driven this way and that way, but always behave with justice and seeing things the way they are
- If you seek tranquility do less...do whats essential. Which brings double satisfaction: to do less, better
- Unrestrained Moderation(for me the is so powerful...basically he is saying you will never be perfect so always practice moderation which is like the 80/20 rule)
- Choose not to be harmed - and you wont feel harmed Dont feel harmed and you havent been
- ...not to be distracted by their darkenss. To run straight fo the finish line, unswerving
​
Eat: easiest way to minimize calories without weighing and everything is to only eat meat and vegetables(non-root). Eliminate oils, butters, cheeses, dairy etc. Breakfast eggs with veggies(onion, mushroom, red pepper), lunch chicken with veges(broccoli, grape tomatos, garlic), dinner stir fry with olive oil spray chicken and vegetables(brocolli, onion, mushroom, soy). Make sure vegatables make up more than 50% of the volume on your plate. This will have you eating healthy. If you weight loss slows or stalls, just lower the size of each meal 10%
​
dont worry about daily weight flucuations - take your weight daily but look at the weekly averages to see trends.
Lift: minimum 3x per week. DL, Squat, Leg Press, Bench, Row, Lat Pull, OHP. Those are the big compound lifts that hit everything. Start light and do 3 sets of 10. If you can do 3x10, increase the weight 5 lbs. If you get 10,9,8 then do the same weigh next time and shoot for getting 10/10/10. you will reach a point where it will take 2 or 3 or even 4 sessions of the same weight before you can get to 10/10/10 and increase 5lbs. That is fine - it is still incremental progress. Be sure to not work out 2 days in a row. Do MWF, or T/TH/Sa.
Remember, as with most things in life it isnt the exact process you follow, but that you pick valid process and employ it consistently. It isnt what your weight is or how you look or how much you can lift my next month - its are you making progess month over month and how is your progress in 6m or a year.
Stoicism is basically a philosophy about mastering your own emotions and optimizing your own responses. This, this, and this are decent introductions to the movement, its history, and its ideas. Some of the key texts are Marcus Aurelius' <em>Meditations</em>, Epictetus' <em>Enchiridion</em> (or Handbook), and Seneca's <em>Shortness of Life</em>.
This is the version you'd probably want: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255
Gregory Hays translation
I really like the Hays translation for its modern writing style: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255
You need the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. I recommend the Farquharson or Hays translations: https://smile.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/ref=mp_s_a_1_3
Key insight: you're not working for yourself, you're working to make the world a better place for other people. You can only control so much, but you have a duty to do what you can, and to do it well.
It dovetails well with Peter Singer's work on altruism, such as "The Life You Can Save" and "The Most Good You Can Do."
For more perspective on what the fuck is actually going on, try this reading list:
Factfulness Why Nations Fail The Bottom Billion
For some excellent liberal philosophy try Charles W Mills: https://www.reddit.com/r/neoliberal/comments/hr0cbb/why_charles_w_mills_is_the_liberal_political/
All of these will help with your philosophically-induced dread, but definitely start with Marcus Aurelius, and get a good modern translation. If you really like that approach to ethics, you can get more from Cicero in De Officiis, or On Ends.
Change the way you think to change your life.
—
Start here perhaps, read Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations" — Get the Gregory Hays translation.
Without question, this is one of the best books I've ever read. It's simple, yet apt wisdom will help guide you, and strengthen you, and motivate you.
Also, recommend following Daily Stoic https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/?hl=en and in general, researching Stoicism as a philosophy of life. There are many great videos on YouTube that will help crash course you.
If you get into it, which would be best for your wellbeing, I very highly reccomend
"A GUIDE TO THE GOOD LIFE: THE ANCIENT ART OF STOIC JOY" by William B Irvine
​
Also:
https://www.happinesslab.fm - Podcast from Yale psychology prof - which talks about the science and practice of becoming happier.
I'm glad I could help! If you do end up getting it, the translation I have and the one most people end up picking is Gregory Hays' translation.
It could also be the translation you're reading. I tried some variations of Meditations but this version is the best I've found. https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/
From another comment in this thread: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255
If that's not accessible to you in the UK, I am happy to post you a copy at no cost to you.
It’s from this translation of his Meditations. Definitely worth a read!
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
this version in specific
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/
There is one way through this, and that's changing your attitude to it. I know, you hate it, it's a horrible answer, why the fuck isn't there a cure, etc. I'm with you. But the reality is this is where we're at right now.
I was in your shoes a couple years ago when I first got it. I became a husk of a human. I also had severe hyperacusis, had to wear ear muffs or plugs everywhere I went, lost my girlfriend of 4 years due to the extreme mental anguish and stress. Wanted to die. Almost did.
After months and months -- after my hyperacusis started to subside -- I read this translation of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations and can honestly say the perception shift it granted me saved my life. It gave me the presence of mind to return to my pre-tinnitus meditation practice; to work on accepting it; to see that it was exactly as harmful as I let it be; that my reactions to it are just thoughts, and thoughts can be changed.
I'll buy you a copy if you can't afford it. Just let me know.
I had a couple good years of stability and ultimately started to forget that I even had it. I know, that sounds impossible. It feels that way to me too -- the past few weeks I suffered a setback (not sure why, though I have a couple theories), and I went back to a dark place I thought I had left behind forever. My hyperacusis and tinnitus appear to be irreversibly worse, and I may have to change careers in the middle of a pandemic because of it. But this time, armed with the experience of last time, I already feel myself coming out of it, getting past it, remembering that tinnitus isn't a threat and is as big of a problem as I let it be.
This experience changes you and makes you more resilient. But you've first got to understand that it's possible.
You can wait all your life waiting for FX-322 to work out (and god knows I hope it does), but in the meantime you've got a life to live. Tinnitus is just another thing that's happening, just like the wind outside and the dog breathing on the couch and the hum of the fridge. It's happening whether you like it or not -- how you react to it is up to you.
MOTD #4: "Now recognize that the difference between years from now and tomorrow is just as small."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? checkout these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
As always if you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in a future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where every you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #42: "Stop allowing your mind to be a slave, to be jerked about by selfish impulses."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #54: "Don't let your imagination be crushed by life as a whole. Don't try to picture everything bad that could possibly happen. Stick with the situation at hand,"
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #72: “Nothing, to my way of thinking, is a better proof of a well ordered mind than a man’s ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company.”
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #86: "Be like the cliff against which the waves continually break; but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it."
(Previous) // (Next One)
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #87: "We ought always to deal justly, not only with those who are just to us, but likewise to those who endeavor to injure us;"
(Previous) // (Next One)
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #93: "How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it may be just and pure;"
(Previous) // (Next One)
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #96: “Remember: Matter. How tiny your share of it. Time. How brief and fleeting your allotment of it. Fate. How small a role you play in it.”
(Previous) // (Next One)
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #97: “Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what’s left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting?”
(Previous) // (Next One)
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #99: “Not to live as if you had endless years ahead of you. Death overshadows you. While you’re alive and able—be good.”
(Previous) // (Next One)
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
He recommends The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (at ~1:50m) as his top book pick:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1168191.Meditations
And stipulates that it must be the Gregory Hays translation...
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0812968255/
On my local site (Canada) it is just $1 for the Kindle edition but when I select that it switches to a different translator/edition! I assume it does the same thing on the listing on the US site.
It's available on Google Play or Kobo, but for $11 (probably a bit less in US$)
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Marcus_Aurelius_Meditations?id=24a_o-VJvGsC ($11)
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/meditations-20
If that's really the price then I'll pay it, but the $1 listing at Amazon makes me want to be sure before I click, so, does anyone have a better source of the eBook of the Hayes translation?
Meditations: A New Translation https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YUHDFbP6B5M6C
Meditations: A New Translation https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YUHDFbP6B5M6C
Gregory Hayes : New translation Meditations: A New Translation https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YUHDFbP6B5M6C
This is the Gregory Hayes new translation
Meditations: A New Translation https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YUHDFbP6B5M6C
Maybe read into stoicism? I highly recommend Marcus Aurelius' <em>Meditations</em>
Title - Author
Summary
Number 1 recommendation: War of Art - Stephen Pressfield
Best book on making shit happen. Fight resistance and do something. it's the only way to become something.
Man's Search for Meaning Viktor E. Frankl
"The meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour." "The more one forgets himself - by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love - the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself." Self actualization is only possible as a side effect of self-transcendence." We discover this meaning in life in 3 different ways: 1) by creating a work or doing a deed, 2) by experiencing something or encountering someone, 3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering."
The Life You Can Save Peter Singer
Based on our level of income, we should give 10% of our income to the world's poorest people. 15000 children die daily from preventable diseases. 700 million live on less than $1.90 per day.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck - Mark Manson
Only give a fuck about the important things. Choose very carefully what to give a fuck about. Denial of Death: Death Terror and the physical self vs conceptual self. civilization is just a massive immortality project. like the Gilgamesh project of Sapiens
The Second Mountain - David Brooks
So many successful people quickly arrive at the summit of their first mountain: material success, fame, family, wife and kids, big house, cars, money, travel. They quickly realize that while some of it is nice, not much of it matters. So they look out in the distance and they realize there is a second mountain that they can start climbing. This is the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community.
A Guide to the Good Life - William Irvine
Stoic philosophy for the modern
Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari
All of human history in 300 pages. Provides an excellent perspective of where we've been, where we are now, and where we can go as a species.
When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi
Do something meaningful while you're alive. Doctor dying of cancer continues to help others while he's dying.
10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head Dan Harris
ABC News anchor gets hooked on war and drugs. Goes on a spirtual journey from the whackos to scientists. Goes on a 10 day retreat. Discovers meditation/mindfulness can be a powerful tool.
Waking Up - Sam Harris
offers mediation and introspection as an alternative to faith based religion
Meditations Marcus Aurelius
Translation matters here, get this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_jRMtFbZWMM1HP
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
Letter to a Young Muslim Omar Saif Ghobash
Changed my perspective on Islam and Muslims in general. Great book to read before doing 2 years in the Middle East. Very good primary on being a Muslim in modern times. UAE ambassador to Russia writes letters to his son about growing up Muslim and questioning Islamic authority so as not to become a radical
The Simple Path to Wealth JL Collins
Save 50% of your income, buy VTSAX, get F-You money and do what you want
Digital Minimalism - Cal Newport
Delete all social media. Solitude is important. go for walks. disable notifications on your phone. only conversations count, not connecting digitially.
The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday
Stoicism. Life only has meaning through challenges and growth, so relish obstacles in your way. Use obstacles to your advantage. Find the advantage to whatever situation you're in. Perception, action and will to succeed.
Stillness is the Key - Ryan Holiday
Be calm amongst chaos to achieve what must be done. Stoic philosophy. Still your mind. Limit your information diet. What is urgent is not always important. A sound mind in a strong body. Get sleep, exercise, find a leisure activity.
The Courage to be Disliked - Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi
Division of tasks. You can't change anyone else or the world, only yourself. Life has no meaning other than what we assign to it.
How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
Don't be a dick and give people what they want to get what you want. https://fs.blog/2012/07/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people/
Hell Yeah or No - Derek Sivers
Do things that are important
And finally, just a good book to read:
East of Eden John Steinbeck
There are subtle differences, but nothing significant. Most people opt for Hays' translation.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CMddFb08SH6T3
Best $8 you'll ever spend.
Stoicism will show you. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by Gregory Hays would probably be the best book to start with, and also The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. You read one page a day, all the pages have a date intended to be read on. I've just finished reading meditations and it was a great book. You can find all the books on Amazon. Here's a link to the two books.
Meditations https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OycyFbBR1EYHP
The Daily Stoic https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0735211736/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.ycyFb3VZ8N6S
There is no best but this is one of the most recommended. Hays translation, Amazon link
You might want to look into some stoic philosophy.
A personal favorite of mine is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
Would this bi it then? Is it the same for hardcover version? Because it says its translated by George Long
Lol fair. Is there a difference between these editions? The first one seems like it might be different. I like the cover better though.
Meditations: A New Translation https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IvIqDbG5KGHR2
Meditations https://www.amazon.com/dp/1503280462/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7wIqDb37KF6SV
Gregory Hays translation (978-0812968255)
​
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255
MOTD #60: “No carelessness in your actions. No confusion in your words. No imprecision in your thoughts. No retreating into your own soul, or trying to escape it. No overactivity."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #76: "Keep looking closely like that, and embody it in your actions: goodness—what defines a good person. Keep to it in everything you do."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #47: "People are our proper occupation. Our job is to do them good and put up with them. But when they obstruct our proper tasks, they become irrelevant to us—like sun, wind, animals. Our actions may be impeded by them, but there can be no impeding our intentions or our dispositions."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #38: "I think you unhappy because you never have been unhappy: you have passed through your life without meeting an antagonist..."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #37: "Well-being is good luck, or good character."
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? check out these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1& 2| Goodreads
If you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where ever you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #12: "The world is maintain by change"
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? checkout these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2| Goodreads
As always if you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in a future posts, please feel free to message me or comment anytime. Anyways, have a nice day/night where every you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
MOTD #1: “If it doesn’t harm your character, how can it harm your life?”
Being the first one, I find it suiting to have some sort of an introduction. MOTD, “Meditation of the Day,” as you can tell by the title, is a stoic quote from really any book, as long as it has some sort of "stoic wisdom", but mostly from the big three—which comes out, if all goes well, daily.
If you have any suggestions, please feel free to message me. And, if you have a favorite part of Meditations or want to see any other stoic passage in a future posts, again please feel free to message me or comment anytime :D
If you don’t have it I would highly recommend you get one; the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations. Amazon Link
Want to read more books on Stoicism? checkout these lists: r/Stoicism’s the Stoic Reading List | Ryan Holliday’s Lists 1 & 2 | Goodreads
Anyways, have a nice day/night, where every you happen to be… All the best, Chris.
Id like to know as well. I'm on mobile but what if we typed the passage in google? It might pull up in google books preview edit Gregory Hays https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255
So whats this book then? - https://www.amazon.ca/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255/
Is it a condensed version?
This edition seems good, but the one I was talking about is a french edition
Although not a Buddhist, the Roman Emperor and stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius has a few great sayings that help me deal with this.
"Keep in mind how fast things pass by and are gone- those that are now, and those to come. Existence flows past us like a river: the "what" is in constant flux, the "why" has a thousand variations. Nothing is stable, not even what's right here. The infinity of past and future gapes before us- a chasm whose depths we cannot see. So it would take an idiot to feel self-importance or distress. Or any indignation, either. As if the things that irritate us lasted. "(Book 5 Verse 23)
"Soon you'll be ashes, or bones. A mere name, at most- and even that is just a sound, an echo. The things we want in life are empty, stale and trivial. Dogs snarling at eachother. Quarreling children- laughing and then bursting into tears a moment later. Trust, shame, justice, truth-"gone from the earth and only found in heaven". Why are you still here? Sensory objects are shifting and unstable, our senses dim and easily deceived; the soul itself a decoction of the blood, fame in a world like this is worthless. And so? Wait for it patiently-annihilation or metamorphosis."( Book 5 Verse 33)
"So many who were remembered already forgotten, and who remembered them long gone" (Book 7 Verse 6)
"...Everything fades so quickly, turns into legend, and son oblivion covers it." ( Book 4 Verse 33)
There are so many more great quotes about this topic and all of them can be found in the book Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Almost all of his observations I find are similar to the observations of Buddha and many other buddhist teachers and leaders. I definitely recommend looking into it or picking yourself up a copy of amazon
Here is a link to the copy I have and its only 6 bucks and so worth it. I used to go through what you go through now, I felt like I wasn't important and I wasn't very well known. But then I realized that nobody is important in the grand scheme of things. People think they're important but what becomes of them? They decompose in the ground and are all forgotten and people moves on. Just think how many people thought they were important three hundred years ago, and if someone asked me to name three important people from three hundred years ago I couldn't answer them. Plus all that survives of those people are just echoes as Aurelius puts it, and those echoes don't really show us what types of people they really were. Whenever you find yourself thinking your insignificant and unimportant realize how insignificant and unimportant everyone really is. I hope this helps and I really recommend the book, it's awesome. :)
I suppose I take issue with the analogy (as much as I appreciate it). Whereas Pankration all but died out and had to be reconstructed from jar decorations and a few oblique textual references, the major Stoic texts have survived to the present. The main body of Stoic literature was preserved by Byzantines, Arabs, and eventually western monks who felt it anticipated their own virtuous christian asceticism. Stoicism's open distaste for slavery and unnecessary violence meant that it survived centuries of social upheaval and progress surprisingly intact. Stoicism is a living tradition, just not a public one.
In purely practical terms, the beauty of Stoicism is that anyone literate can go online or to the library, read the (very approachable) foundational texts of the philosophy in a weekend and begin practicing immediately. Certainly it's not for all personalities, but the self-starter type can dive right in, decide if Stoicism works for them or not and move on; no need for memorization, chants, costumes, or classes. Stoicism is the least pretentious, most practical thing I can imagine.
An unsolicited recommendation:
If you find you have time to read some Stoics, I would suggest the Hays translation of Aurelius' Meditations, James Stockdale's "Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot", and the Penguin Discourses of Epictetus. If you have inclinations to Zen, I doubt you will be disappointed.
No 49b entry, sorry!
Meditations is a series of Stoic reflections performed by Marcus Aurelius during fairly considerable moments of strife; the loss of a wife, war, dying friends, treason, and the likes.
It adheres to the core of TRP philosophy: Act according to virtue, but do not become overpowered by either pleasure or pain. Sure, we've got a couple of hedonists around here who maximize pleasure and minimize pain - which is just fine - but the core lesson is still the same: be happy regardless of your externals.
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