Sublime

“This is the mark of perfection of character—to spend each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, laziness, or any pretending.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS

Education—reading and meditating on the wisdom of great minds—is not to be done for its own sake. It has a purpose.

To them, living as if each day were our last is simply an extension of the negative visualization technique: As we go about our day, we should periodically pause to reflect on the fact that we will not live forever and therefore that this day could be our last. Such reflection, rather than converting us into hedonists, will make us appreciate how w

“Let each thing you would do, say or intend be like that of a dying person.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS

don’t spend your time (the most valuable and least renewable of all your resources) on the things that don’t matter. What about the things that don’t matter but you’re absolutely obligated to do? Well, spend as little time and worry on them as possible.

When we experience success, we must make sure that it doesn’t change us—that we continue to maintain our character despite the temptation not to. Reason must lead the way no matter what good fortune comes along.

Don’t be a person of too many words and too many deeds….

“Pass through this brief patch of time in harmony with nature, and come to your final resting place gracefully, just as a ripened olive might drop, praising the earth that nourished it and grateful to the tree that gave it growth.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS

Born in the tumultuous ancient world, Stoicism took aim at the unpredictable nature of everyday life and offered a set of practical tools meant for daily use.