Meditations: In the Interest of Others

 Before reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, a personal journal written almost 2000 years ago by a man who was once the leader of the Roman Empire, it’s easy to assume that the book will contain nothing relevant to the average modern human being. Aurelius writes it for himself, as a reminder of how he should act on a daily basis, without ever intending for it to be read by anyone else. It isn’t designed to be read by college kids 2000 years later. Wisdom, however, stands the test of both time and social class. What is wise for a great emperor is also wise for a full-time university student. One problem that the world seems to have today is that people constantly disagree and rarely use civil discourse to come to any sort of understanding of one another. Aurelius addresses this issue as far back as the 2^nd century. In his journal of meditations, Marcus Aurelius provides himself with a list of ways to think and act; his suggestions at the beginning of book 2 especially carry over to our own 21^st century lives because of their attention to the human condition and relevance within any situation, at any time.

In the very first passage of Book 2, Aurelius instructs himself to “Say… first thing in the morning: today I shall meet people who are meddling, ungrateful, aggressive, treacherous, malicious, unsocial” (2.1). Aurelius then makes it clear that although people may treat you unkindly because of their own disposition and understanding of the world, you are not meant to treat them just as unkindly. Aurelius points out to himself that “the nature of the offender is akin to my own – not a kinship of blood or seed, but a sharing in the same mind, the same fragment of divinity” (2.1). Since we all have the same origins, the same mind, and the same world, Aurelius suggests that we attempt to be cooperative toward one another. “We were born for cooperation,” Aurelius continues, “…so to work in opposition to one another is against nature: and anger or rejection is opposition” (2.1). 

The relevance of this particular passage to Aurelius himself is not overly difficult to perceive. As the emperor of Rome, he deals with a number of different characters throughout the day. It is his duty, “as a Roman and as a man” (2.5), to handle such characters in a way that is becoming of a leader and a fellow citizen. The situation is the same for the 21^st century person. No matter what his status may be, he is still best exercising his human ability to think and cooperate by treating others in a kind, tolerant, and flexible way. Humans are not necessarily built to agree; in fact, most people disagree at one point or another on a daily basis. Disagreement does not have to be the cause of anger and rejection, however. 21^st century humans—and 2^nd century humans, I imagine—have a tendency to become angry and confused when encountering a difference of opinions. Perhaps such angry behavior is what Aurelius describes in the first line of this passage, using words such as “aggressive” and “unsocial” (2.1). When a disagreement begins to turn toward such hostile emotions, a person might be helped if he will remember to handle any situation with an intent to be thoughtful and cooperative. 

A few sections down, Aurelius gives himself another piece of advice that seems to tie in well with the first. “Every hour of the day,” he notes, “give vigorous attention, as a Roman and as a man, to the performance of the task in hand with precise analysis, with unaffected dignity, with human sympathy, with dispassionate justice” (2.5). We have noted before that a human is designed with the ability to rationalize and cooperate within a situation, and that it is in the best interest of himself and others to use this unique ability. Aurelius, however, takes the argument a step further: “perform each action as if it were the last of your life” (2.5). Not only does Aurelius instruct himself to cooperate with people to the best of his ability, but he instructs himself to handle every part of his life as if it is the last thing he will ever do. In other words, he tells himself to do everything to the best of his ability, “freed… from all lack of aim, from all passion-led deviation from the ordinance of reason, from pretense, from love of self, from dissatisfaction with what fate has dealt you” (2.5). And yet, he thinks of his treatment of others before he thinks of his treatment of his own time. 

All of what Aurelius writes in Meditations is intended to guide his everyday actions and decisions. Every passage is meant to apply in harmony with every other passage; it would surely not be wrong to look at passages one and five as parts of a whole. Aurelius starts by telling himself to handle even the worst of people with the best of his own heart. He also notes that he should start his day by thinking about how he is to treat these people (2.1). In the fifth passage, he tells himself to handle every part of his own life with the best of his own mind. He appoints this concept to “every hour of the day” (2.5). Aurelius seems to be drawing an intentional parallel between the two passages. Before he can handle his entire day properly, he must remind himself to handle his fellow man properly. He places other people before his own time, and thus allows himself to give proper treatment to both. In reading passages one and five, we find ourselves with the Roman philosophy equivalent of Philippians 2:3-4. 

Aurelius’ ideas and principles in Meditations carry over to the 21^st century not only because they are relevant in any situation, but because they address the use of one’s entire day. Before planning one’s personal actions, one must plan his social actions. How will I treat the people who treat me well? How will I treat the people who do not treat me well? Most importantly, will my treatment of both types be a reflection of civility and divinity? We are all born with the same blood. It benefits no one to be hateful toward his brother or sister; in fact, such hateful behavior is quite destructive and unnatural (2.1). Kind, cooperative behavior, however, benefits not only one’s own day but also the well-being of anyone that is treated with such kindness and cooperation. 2^nd century, 21^st century, any time beyond—in the handling of likeminded people and in the handling of differing opinions—in any situation with any other person, Aurelius’ call to cooperation will hold true.

 

Works Cited 

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. Translated by Martin Hammond, Penguin Classics, 2006.