Plain
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

Before every action you are about to take, ask yourself: How will this sit with me when it's done? Will I regret it? Soon I will be dead and gone, and everything will be over. What more do I need to care about than this — that whatever I'm doing right now is the right action for a thinking person? Someone whose goal is the common good. Someone who follows the same law of reason that guides God himself.

Meditations, Book 8, Section 2 Book 8 · 3 of 67
Doing The Right Thing Death & Mortality
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

Upon every action that thou art about, put this question to thyself; How will this when it is done agree with me? Shall I have no occasion to repent of it? Yet a very little while and I am dead and gone; and all things are at end. What then do I care for more than this, that my present action whatsoever it be, may be the proper action of one that is reasonable; whose end is, the common good; who in all things is ruled and governed by the same law of right and reason, by which God Himself is.

Meditations, Book 8, Section 2 Book 8 · 3 of 67
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

Work hard to understand what your nature really needs. Don't let anything else pull you away from this. You have tried enough things already. You have wandered around chasing many different goals, and none of them brought you happiness. Not clever arguments and logic. Not wealth. Not fame and reputation. Not pleasure. None of these worked. So where can happiness be found? In doing the things that human nature actually requires. How do you do those things? By having the right beliefs and principles. These beliefs guide all your thoughts and actions. What are the right beliefs? The ones about good and evil. Nothing is truly good for a person except what makes him just, self-controlled, brave, and generous. Nothing is truly harmful except what creates the opposite effects.

Meditations, Book 8, Section 1 Book 8 · 2 of 67
What Matters Most Knowing Yourself
Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

Take pains therefore to know what it is that thy nature requireth, and let nothing else distract thee. Thou hast already had sufficient experience, that of those many things that hitherto thou hast erred and wandered about, thou couldst not find happiness in any of them. Not in syllogisms, and logical subtilties, not in wealth, not in honour and reputation, not in pleasure. In none of all these. Wherein then is it to be found? In the practice of those things, which the nature of man, as he is a man, doth require. How then shall he do those things? if his dogmata, or moral tenets and opinions (from which all motions and actions do proceed), be right and true. Which be those dogmata? Those that concern that which is good or evil, as that there is nothing truly good and beneficial unto man, but that which makes him just, temperate, courageous, liberal; and that there is nothing truly evil and hurtful unto man, but that which causeth the contrary effects.

Meditations, Book 8, Section 1 Book 8 · 2 of 67
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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