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Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

§ Section 32

Book Six

6:32

Book Subtitle: The classic from Marcus Aurelius.

Book Description: The personal notes of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. This book has influenced many throughout history from students to statesmen. It's an inside look at a brilliant and thoughtful man working on living well. The emperor and philosopher's thoughts are crucial to understand for any Stoic seeking to do their best in a complex world.

Chapter Subtitle: The substance of the universe is obedient and compliant; and the reason which governs it has in itself no cause for doing evil, for it has no malice, nor does it do evil to anything, nor is anything harmed by it.

32. I consist of a little body and a soul.

Now to this little body all things are indifferent, for it is not able to perceive differences.

But to the understanding those things only are indifferent, which are not the works of its own activity.

But whatever things are the works of its own activity, all these are in its power.

And of these however only those which are done with reference to the present; for as to the future and the past activities of the mind, even these are for the present indifferent.