Marcus Aurelius Quotes: 400 Quotes on Life, Mortality, and the Importance of Living in the Present Moment

The last phrase is quoted in J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey as "It loved to happen".
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book X, 21
Original: (el) ῾Ἐρᾷ μὲν ὄμβρου γαῖα, ἐρᾷ δὲ ὁ σεμνὸς αἰθήρ,᾿ ἐρᾷ δὲ ὁ κόσμος ποιῆσαι ὃ ἂν μέλλῃ γίνεσθαι. λέγω οὖν τῷ κόσμῳ ὅτι σοὶ συνερῶ. μήτι δὲ οὕτω κἀκεῖνο λέγεται, ὅτι: φιλεῖ τοῦτο γίνεσθαι;

Love , World , Future

“If thou canst see sharp, look and judge wisely, says the philosopher.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VIII, 38
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VIII

“Understand however that every man is worth just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Source: Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VII, 3

Understanding , Business

“Give thyself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

II, 7
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book II

Learning , Time

“Blot out vain pomp; check impulse; quench appetite; keep reason under its own control.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

IX, 7
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IX

“Nature has had regard in everything no less to the end than to the beginning and the continuance, just like a man who throws up a ball. What good is it then for the ball to be thrown up, or harm for it to come down… what good is it to the bubble while it holds together, or what harm when it is burst?”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VIII, 20
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VIII

Nature

“Socrates used to call the opinions of the many by the name of Lamiae, bugbears to frighten children.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

XI, 23
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book XI

Children

“That which comes after ever conforms to that which has gone before.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

IV, 45
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IV

“Search men's governing principles, and consider the wise, what they shun and what they cleave to.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

IV, 38
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IV

Men , Search

“And finally remember that nothing harms him who is really a citizen, which does not harm the state; nor yet does anything harm the state which does not harm law [order]; and of these things which are called misfortunes not one harms law. What then does not harm law does not harm either state or citizen.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

X, 33
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book X

Law

“It is satisfaction to a man to do the proper works of a man.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VIII, 26
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VIII

“The nature of the All moved to make the universe.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VII, 75
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VII

Nature , Universe

“Turn thy thoughts now to the consideration of thy life, thy life as a child, as a youth, thy manhood, thy old age, for in these also every change was a death. Is this anything to fear?”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

IX, 21
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IX

Life , Death , Youth , Age

“Not to feel exasperated, or defeated, or despondent because your days aren't packed with wise and moral actions. But to get back up when you fail, to celebrate behaving like a human--however imperfectly--and fully embrace the pursuit that you've embarked on.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Hays translation
Flinch not, neither give up nor despair, if the achieving of every act in accordance with right principle is not always continuous with thee.
V, 9
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book V

Feeling

“Adorn thyself with simplicity and with indifference towards the things which lie between virtue and vice. Love mankind. Follow God. The poet says that Law rules all. And it is enough to remember that law rules all.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VII, 31
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VII

Love , God , Lie , Law

“Everywhere and at all times it is in thy power piously to acquiesce in thy present condition, and to behave justly to those who are about thee, and to exert thy skill upon thy present thoughts, that nothing shall steal into them without being well examined.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VII, 54
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VII

Time

“This is a fine saying of Plato: That he who is discoursing about men should look also at earthly things as if he viewed them from some higher place; should look at them… a mixture of all things and an orderly combination of contraries.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VII, 48
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VII

Men

“Use these rules then, and trouble thyself about nothing else.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

X, 2
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book X

“You see how few things you have to do to live a satisfying and reverent life? If you can manage this, that's all even the gods can ask of you.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Hays translation
Thou seest how few be the things, the which if a man has at his command his life flows gently on and is divine.
II, 5
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book II

Life , God

“Is any man afraid of change? Why what can take place without change?”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VII, 18
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VII

Change

“He was a man who looked at what ought to be done, not to the reputation which is got by a man's acts.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

I, 16
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book I

“Deem not life a thing of consequence. For look at the yawning void of the future, and at that other limitless space, the past.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

IV, 50
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IV

Life , Past , Future

“He who does not know what the world is, does not know where he is. And he who does not know for what purpose the world exists, does not know who he is, nor what the world is. But he who has failed in any one of these things could not even say for what purpose he exists himself. What then dost thou think of him who [avoids or] seeks the praise of those who applaud, of men who know not either where they are or who they are?”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

He that knows not what the world is, knows not where he is himself. He that knows not for what he was made, knows not what he is nor what the world is.
VIII, 52
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VIII

Men , World , Thinking

“Constantly and, if it be possible, on the occasion of every impression on the soul, apply to it the principles of Physic, of Ethic, and of Dialectic.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VIII, 13
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VIII

Soul