Review "Marcus Aurelius - Meditationen"

About the author

Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) was a Roman emperor, philosopher, and writer. Considered one of the greatest philosophical thinkers of all time, he is known for his Meditations, in which he reflects on personal experiences, thoughts, and reflections on human nature, ethics, and life.

Marcus Aurelius followed Stoicism, a philosophy that encourages man to come to terms with his nature and overcome his emotions through self-control and reason. His thoughts have influenced philosophers and thinkers for many centuries.

Through his work, the Meditations, Marcus Aurelius's thinking can be analyzed, and we can reflect on our beliefs and actions.

What is the book about?

The book consists of twelve books with a total of over 1,500 entries. His primary focuses are:

1. Human Nature: Marcus Aurelius reflects on art and life, how to understand yourself better, and how to find peace within your being.

2. Ethics and Morality: He develops his moral philosophy, which is characterized by self-control, responsibility, and compassion.

3. Politics and Governance: Marcus Aurelius reflects on his experiences as an emperor and how to exercise leadership without losing yourself.

4. Religion and Spirituality: He discusses the role of religion in our lives and the need to develop one's own beliefs rather than depend on others.

5. Personal Development: Marcus Aurelius offers advice on a healthier lifestyle, better understanding of yourself, control of one's thoughts, and peaceful living.

What's great about it?

Many aspects I read in current management literature can already be found in Marcus' passages. This includes points such as

• The relevance of focus – few "work in progress" items (Book 4 Passage 24) and not allowing distractions (Book 6 Passage 19)
• Serenity towards the inevitable (Book 6 Passage 23) and things that are none of our business (Book 7 Passage 26)
• Changing perspectives creates understanding and leads to serenity (Book 7 Passage 18)
• Active listening to gain an understanding of those I am talking to (Book 6 Passage 48)
• Positive thinking – your perspective decides whether things are good or bad (Book 4 Passage 37) that nothing is impossible, and that we should believe in ourselves (Book 6 Passage 16)
• The concept of the thought bank – what we often think shapes us and our attitude (Book 5 Passage 16)
• Gratitude for what we have and what we desire so much does not corrupt us (Book 7 Passage 19)
• Concept of paying it forward – by doing good, we will eventually experience good things (Book 7, passage 53)
• Myth of talent – ​​lack of habit (aka training) makes us despair at first, but practice pays off (Book 12, passage 6)

It almost seems that the authors of today's management books have picked out one or two sentences and turned them into a book. Think Big comes to mind in particular. Of course, a lot goes into creating the framework and context of an entire book – but new insights were not developed in it.

What's annoying about it?

The long, nested sentences often required me to read passages several times. The sentence structure and word choice are very unusual for me, so reading the passages was challenging.

The best quote

The twelve books are full of good sentences. The most memorable is this one:

"The most important goal is not to find happiness, but the knowledge to do so. Happiness discovers you."

On the one hand, I like the idea that knowledge helps. On the other hand, I agree that happiness comes to you. Only thanks to my knowledge and experience can I recognize happiness as such. Therefore, the decisive factor is the perspective from which something is viewed as happiness. I gained this perspective through experience and knowledge, which brings us full circle.

Why should everyone read the book?

I find it fascinating to read how profound and progressive the reflections were then. However, I understand even less why there were (and are) so many wars and conflicts when such insights were available.

Furthermore, Marcus' writings allow us to listen to ourselves and recognize whether or not there is a Stoic in us. Knowing whether or not there is such a person in us, we can look at the world from a new perspective. For my part, I have realized that I share many facets of the Stoics. In particular, the serenity of only focusing on the things that I can influence and that concern me.