Marcus says. . .

Book 2 no. 1
"Say to yourself first thing in the morning: today I shall meet people who are meddling, ungrateful, aggressive, treacherous, malicious, unsocial. All this has afflicted them through their ignorance of true good and evil. But I have seen that the nature of good is what is right, and the nature of evil what is wrong; and I have reflected that the nature of the offender himself is akin to my own - not a kinship of blood or seed, but a sharing in the same mind, the same fragment of divinity. Therefore I cannot be harmed by any of them, as none will infect me with their wrong. Nor can I be angry with my kinsman or hate him. We were born for cooperation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of upper and lower teeth. So to work in opposition to one another is against nature: and anger or rejection is opposition."

 This is the entire '1' of Book 2 of Meditations.
I find this to be very manly. I do not exclude women women here. It seems to take a strong individual to find cooperation with others. A bit paradoxical. If you are strong enough to embrace the good in the strength and 'none will infect me with their wrong' how to we resolve and come to agreement? Opposition is seen as against nature in Marcus' text, yet opposition is common, is it not? Few employers really want to hear what you think. They want the agreement to do what they say and do not want to converse and be affected by what you have to say.

 Maybe we take Marcus very personally here? We pursue openness/cooperation. without being "meddling, aggressive, treacherous, malicious or unsocial", not being affected by others. We determine, with steel in our spines, to respond by what we deem good and right and don't let them affect or infect us with their wrong. This is strongly individualistic. I like it, though I don't fully understand the end game of two people coming together with very different ideas. Maybe this strong individual strongly believes in cooperation and utterly rejects opposition.

 I have heard it said that 'my response is my responsibility. Your words don't cause my response, my words reveal what is in me'. Hmmmm. My response is my responsibility. When you think about it, that is the only thing that we really own, possess. We cannot control others, not really. The only thing we do have control over is what we do and say. . . our response.

 A little heady today. Have a great day. Determine to be a force for good today.

 ds

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Marcus and dementia??

Book 3: I was more than a little suprised that Marcus talks about our minds losing the ability to comprehend and study as we age. He begins book three with, "life is expended day by day and the remaining balance diminishes. .". We can agree that this is a certainty, but in our culture, it is not polite conversation. Also, I see Meditations as a book written to help his son or an interested youth. I cannot picture the youth in our circle being very 'fired up' to talk about death and the possibility of a diminished mind in the years leading up to death. This seems to be Marcus' target audience; those not currently suffering from decreased mental ability but headed toward it. I find it a little refreshing to be able to consider taboo topics. Lift the veil and peer underneath. An early conclusion:"So we must have a sense of urgency, not only for the ever closer approach of death, but also because our comprehension of the world and our ability to pay proper atte
Read more

Roman culture similar to our own??

I continue to read in Book 2 items 1-5. Consider these exerpts; I shall meet people who are meddling, ungrateful, aggressive, treacherous, malicious, unsocial. . . I cannot be harmed by any of them, as none will infect me with their wrong. . . beings are made up flesh, breath and the directing mind. . . do not let this directing mind of yours be enslaved any longer - not more jerking to the strings of selfish impulse, no more disquiet at your present or suspicion of your future fate. . . The works of the gods are full of providence. . . so thirst in true grace and heartfelt gratitude to the gods. . . as a Roman and a man, every hour give vigorous attention, to the performance of the task in hand with precise analysis, with unaffected dignity, with human sympathy, with dispassionate justice - and to vacating your mind from all its other thoughts. Reflect: These thoughts are very similar to central Christian ideas. Rome was certainly not a Christian haven in the 2nd century. Could it
Read more

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius, born in 121 a.d., was a Roman Emperor and  wrote  Meditations as a sort of lesson book. He recorded things that he learned from his mother, father, grandfather and others. It's the kind of book that you would give to a son. A sort of advice book. Sadly his only surviving son was the worthless Commodus. This book has been a treasure over the centuries. "From my grandfather Verus: decency and a mild temper. From what they say and what I can remember of my natural father: integrity and manliness. From my mother: piety, generosity, the avoidance of wrongdoing and even the thought of it; also simplicity of living, well clear of the habits of the rich."
Read more