Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Meditations, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Philosophy, The Mind, and Living Well
Relationships and The City
Nature and the Gods
Mortality and Dying Well
Summary
Analysis
1. Marcus asks his soul if it will ever stop yearning for what it doesn’t have and instead be satisfied with what it has right now. Everything is a gift from the gods and is therefore good.
Marcus’s ongoing struggles are apparent, as he rebukes himself for failing to be satisfied with his circumstances and for complaining.
Themes
3. Whether something is “endurable” or not, quit complaining. Either you’ll be destroyed, or your mind will make the thing endurable.
Here, Marcus reminds himself of his mortality in order to stop complaining. If something doesn’t kill him, his mind is capable of putting the suffering into perspective.
Themes
4. As a part of a whole, you have no right to complain about the part allotted to you. Whatever benefits the whole can’t harm the parts. Don’t be selfish, and focus on what benefits the community.
Marcus also focuses on the good of the larger community in order to combat unhelpful attitudes. When tempted to complain, he should remember that life isn’t only about his satisfaction.
Themes
8. If you embrace sanity (understanding things for what they are), cooperation with nature, and disinterest in the flesh, then you’ll be a new person. It doesn’t matter if anyone else thinks so.
It’s always within a person’s power to change their life by living the way they’re supposed to, no matter what anyone else thinks.
Themes
Get the entire Meditations LitChart as a printable PDF.
9. Actions should aim at practical goals, exercising thought, and maintaining confidence in your understanding.
No actions should be wasted. Each action should have a point, and a person should focus their thoughts toward that goal unwaveringly.
Themes
12. Life isn’t guesswork. If the road is clear, then follow it; if not, get good advice and follow the best path you can.
Even if the future isn’t always clear, a person should just do the best they can in cooperation with others.
Themes
15. Live as if you’re in the wilderness. Your “city,” after all, is the world.
Marcus suggests that because the whole world is his home, it doesn’t really matter where he lives—what matters is how he lives.
Themes
16. Don’t just talk about what a good person is, be one.
Marcus already knows how to live a good life according to his philosophy. Here, he exhorts himself to put into practice what he believes.
Themes
22. There are only three possibilities: to keep living, to end your life by choice, or to die after having met your obligations. This gives you reason to be optimistic.
Keeping in mind life’s brevity simplifies things. Either you’ll live or die, and you’ll either meet your goals or choose to die if you’re prevented from meeting them.
Themes
25. To feel something like grief, anger, or fear is like being “a fugitive from justice,” because you’re trying to escape the law of nature.
Nature determines what happens, so resisting life’s circumstances is fundamentally unjust.
Themes
27. History is basically just the repetition of the same events, even if the cast of characters changes.
Nothing really changes throughout history. Realizing this helps a person put events and their significance into perspective.
Themes
31. Life is just training for your logos, and it’s enough to live life well, by observing things accurately.
It’s up to each person to live as best they can—as much in accord with their rational nature—with what they’re given.
Themes
35. If a person’s senses are healthy, they should be able to handle anything. Similarly, a healthy mind shouldn’t keep worrying or being anxious about others’ approval.
Human beings are endowed with everything they need in order to live philosophically, and to live without useless fear of others
Themes
