“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own – not of the same blood and birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are unnatural.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
This quote comes from the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, who was also a Stoic philosopher. The Meditations, essentially Marcus Aurelius’s personal journal, is a seminal work of Stoic philosophy, comprising reflections and exercises in wisdom, morality, and the nature of human thought. This particular passage encapsulates the Stoic approach to social relations, personal responsibility, and the understanding of human nature.
Marcus Aurelius starts by preparing himself for the day ahead with a reminder that he will encounter challenging behaviors in others. This anticipation isn’t meant to breed cynicism or despair, but rather to fortify his patience and understanding. By acknowledging that people act negatively because they lack the ability to distinguish good from evil, Marcus Aurelius cultivates a sense of empathy rather than judgment. This perspective is rooted in the Stoic belief in the importance of understanding and working with human nature, rather than being frustrated by it.
The mention of recognizing the beauty of good and the ugliness of evil, and understanding that wrongdoers have a nature related to his own, emphasizes a fundamental Stoic principle: the shared rationality among all human beings. By stating that everyone possesses a share of the divine, Marcus Aurelius highlights the Stoic idea that all people are connected through their capacity for reason and virtue. This interconnectedness is a basis for treating others with respect and understanding, regardless of their actions.
Moreover, Marcus Aurelius’s assertion that no one can hurt him or implicate him in ugliness reflects the Stoic belief in the sovereignty of the individual will and the importance of maintaining one’s integrity. According to Stoicism, external circumstances and other people’s actions cannot truly harm one’s character or inner peace unless one allows them to. This control over one’s reactions and emotions is central to Stoic ethics.
Finally, the analogy of human cooperation to the natural functioning of body parts serves as a powerful reminder of the Stoic ideal of living in accordance with nature. Marcus Aurelius argues that just as body parts have evolved to work together harmoniously for the well-being of the whole organism, humans too are meant to cooperate with one another. To act against this natural inclination towards cooperation and unity is, for Marcus Aurelius, to go against the very fabric of the universe.