Reflections

Author's name: Marcus Aurelius

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Marcus Aurelius' Meditations offered an exceptional series of spiritual insights that challenged the philosophy of life's behavior, as well as practices that demonstrated the emperor's struggle to understand himself and accept the universe. In many ways, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations crystallized the philosophical wisdom of the Greco-Roman world. Aurelius composed this booklet as his personal diary while fighting in a war on the borders of the Roman Empire, and today it is better known under the title Meditations. Although it was written between 170 and 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations resonated with contemporary readers because of its striking similarity to self-help books. Aurelius wrote his Meditations as a series of personal notes during the final decade of his reign over the Roman Empire, with no intention of publishing them. Today, they are considered classics of Stoic philosophy and are considered elegant examples of solving life's problems. The Meditations argue that a great leader must address one of the fundamental problems of all philosophy: how to live a good life. Marcus Aurelius was quick to ask questions and find answers, all of which led him to a greater understanding of what a good life entails. He decided that philosophy was an important tool we could use every day to help us understand and deal with the world. The best way to get to the bottom of a problem, he noted, was to carefully analyze its various aspects, which would help us absorb the implications of the problem. To keep our minds balanced, it is essential to remain in control of our material and sensual desires to avoid falling prey to negative behaviors such as jealousy, quarreling, and indulgence. The Meditations demonstrate that philosophy can help us understand the problems and difficulties of others by acting as a constant catalyst for addressing and resolving problems wherever they arise.