Plain
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

Never think something is impossible for humans just because you can't do it easily. Whatever you believe any person can do, believe you can do it too.

Meditations, Book 6, Section 18 Book 6 · 21 of 64
Knowing Yourself Freedom & Control
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

Do not ever conceive anything impossible to man, which by thee cannot, or not without much difficulty be effected; but whatsoever in general thou canst Conceive possible and proper unto any man, think that very possible unto thee also.

Meditations, Book 6, Section 18 Book 6 · 21 of 64
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

Who can help but wonder at people like this? They will not speak well of those who live alongside them right now. Yet they desperately want future generations — people they have never seen and will never see — to speak well of them. It's like grieving because people who lived before you didn't praise you.

Meditations, Book 6, Section 17 Book 6 · 20 of 64
Human Nature What Matters Most
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

Who can choose but wonder at them? They will not speak well of them that are at the same time with them, and live with them; yet they themselves are very ambitious, that they that shall follow, whom they have never seen, nor shall ever see, should speak well of them. As if a man should grieve that he hath not been commended by them, that lived before him.

Meditations, Book 6, Section 17 Book 6 · 20 of 64
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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