In the noise of applause, the voice of truth is not heard | 5 minutes
When a person is given great power, they usually begin to teach those around them how to live. As their position rises, they may imagine themselves as someone who knows more, possessing qualities they do not even have. However, as you read Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations," you witness a completely different picture.
The voice of truth is not heard amidst the noise of applause | 5 minutes
In the next episode of "5 Minutes," you will learn how a Roman emperor thought more about how to govern himself than others.
Marcus Aurelius lived in the 2nd century AD and was the ruler of the Roman Empire. Under his command was a vast state, a large army, and immense power. His decisions affected the fate of many countries. It is easy, of course, for such a person to imagine himself as the eternal master of the world. However, he lived differently.
"Meditations" is not actually a book intended for others. The ruler wrote it as his personal reflections, reminders to keep himself in check.
In this book, the emperor tries to restrain himself from anger. He reminds himself not to indulge too much in reputation. He reflects on not becoming dependent on the opinions of others. He frequently mentions the passing of time.
Imagine, the ruler of Rome does not present himself as a ready, perfected individual. On the contrary, he knows his shortcomings and admits them repeatedly. It is as if he is reminding himself that being an emperor does not excuse him from the duty of being a human.
For example, he thinks a lot about anger. The people around him may not act according to his wishes, they may be ungrateful, speak rudely, or behave badly. But another person's mistake should not turn him into a bad person as well.
These thoughts are very familiar to most of us, of course. For example, someone cuts us off in traffic, and our whole day is ruined. Someone speaks unfairly, and our mood changes. Someone disrespects us, and we want to respond to them in the same way. Aurelius, however, wants to say: control your own behavior before judging the behavior of another. Because you do not have to punish yourself for someone else's mistake.
The emperor treats praise very cautiously. He keeps flatterers and applauders far away from himself. Believe me, the person who praises you to the skies today will bow to another leader when they arrive tomorrow. They might even express a completely different opinion about you. People's evaluation is changeable, and reputation is always helpless before time, he says.
Therefore, Aurelius tries not to make fame the ultimate goal of life. According to him, whether a person is good or bad should not be determined by how many people praise them. What they are doing, why they are doing it, and what kind of person this work is turning them into — that is what matters!