Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor wrote these personal musings (161-180 AD). For an emperor he was quite grounded, going by his writings. Sridhar recommended it to me and I bought it some time ago. However the language made it difficult for me to get the flow.
Divided into twelve books, it starts with him putting down thoughts about the good he learned from others - a long list of gratitude or of lessons learned one may say. Then he goes on to write about themes about what a man should do (be a good human), how a man should live (see himself in perspective of the universe and realise how small and inconsequential he is. He talks about how man should do nothing against his will. He comes back to the theme of not having judgment or opinion - and how without those two there will be no right or wrong which is a good place to be in. He tells one not to overthink and to look at everything minus the drama. He says, simplify.
He urges people not to do anything that they have to do - behind closed doors. This is paradoxical especially for an emperor who might have to do many things behind closed doors! But then we also know that the world is full of paradoxes. He believed the world order is one. That God is one.
Couple of lines
In action, don't procrastinate. In conversation, don't confuse. In thought, don't wander. In your soul, don't be passive or aggressive. In your life, don't be all business.
Often injustice lies in what you aren't doing, not about what you're doing.
Rage isn't manly. Gentleness and civility is manly.
Maybe, some other time, I will go through it more carefully. But overall I get the sense of what he intended. I agree with Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Thanks Sridhar.
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