Written in Carnuntum
- Marcus is preoccupied with death again. Or, rather, he's preoccupied with the length of life.
- Marcus tells us that living longer doesn't guarantee a continued quality of life. He's especially thinking about dementia—or losing the use of one's reason.
- Marcus wants to keep tabs on how swiftly time is moving for him. He says life is actually even shorter than we think, since the mind disintegrates before the body does.
- Therefore, Marcus says, do it now. Whatever "it" may be.
- Marcus observes the life cycle of things in nature and finds that every part of it—even the unlovely stuff—has its attractions since it is part of a larger Whole.
- Things that display full maturation and are on the verge of decay—bursting figs, ripe olives hanging next to rotting ones, old men and women—should remind the viewer of the perfection of nature.
- Marcus displays more indifference to death. He gives examples of great men who died in ironic ways to show that life and death don't really matter.
- As for death, we're only moving toward a new life with the gods. Or, if the gods aren't real, then we'll be insensible, anyway, and it just won't matter.
- Marcus reminds himself not to worry about what other people are thinking or doing. Time is short, and he really just needs to concentrate on his own directing mind.
- Marcus feels he has also got to drop wicked thoughts from his mind. He wants to be able to concentrate wholly on the present and be able to say what is in his mind at the drop of a hat, without embarrassment. If a person could do that, Marcus says, he or she would be cultivating the divine spark within and would reach the heights of humanity. That is, he or she would be free of passions and wholly rational.
- Such a person is happy with his or her lot in life and totally focused on what he or she should be doing: caring for all people as rational creatures—but not caring about fame or reputation.
- Marcus defines himself: he's a plain-speaker, a grown man, a ruler of the Roman Empire. He prizes his indifference to life and his independence from the need for praise. He's also proud of his backbone: the emperor knows what the right path is—and how to follow it without help.
- Marcus throws out a challenge to himself: if you can find a better life than one lived in harmony with your rational mind, then follow it.
- However, Marcus is pretty sure that a life of reason and self-control can't be equaled. Any other kind of life is inferior and would therefore leave you struggling to get back in touch with your inner god.
- Sure, pleasure, popularity and wealth are nice—for a little while. But these are scary because they last only a little while, and they can make you dependent on them.
- Marcus tells himself that he has to choose the better part.
- Marcus reminds himself that nothing can really be beneficial if it makes you behave badly. So anything that makes you do something shady is never worth it.
- If Marcus can keep his focus on the "god within" (that is, reason), there will be no drama. He won't even mind if he has to die early, since that is a natural process. All of this can only happen if he doesn't divert from the path of a "rational and social being."
- Marcus notes that a person who allows him or herself to submit to correction and discipline lives a well-ordered, clean life.
- When that person dies, there is nothing to regret: he or she has fulfilled his or her role in life and isn't taken by surprise.
- It's one thing to have a rational mind, but it's quite another (and equally important) thing to cherish your powers of judgment.
- But judgment is not just about being judgy of outside things; it's also about discerning whether or not your judgment is playing by the rules of rational behavior.
- If your judgment colors outside those lines, it's time to rethink your perception of things.
- Marcus tells himself that the good principles in Book 3 are all that is needed for a happy life. It's also important to remember that we only live in the tiny space of the present time.
- Marcus emphasizes smallness here: life is small, the place in which we live is a cosmic pinpoint, fame is small (as are the men that it attaches to). Because hey, we're all gonna die.
- Marcus urges himself to strip every idea or object down to its bare naked essentials so that he can see it for what it really is. He doesn't want to cover up reality with rationalizations or mental finery. This will also help Marcus identify the Thing and classify it into its component parts so that he can see how it will "decompose" over time and give him a clear idea of how things will all play out.
- Marcus believes that this practice will help him to have a first-rate mind, since it will help him see clearly how things truly are—and how they fit into the grand scheme of the universe.
- This practice will also help Marcus understand how enduring the Thing is—and what is needed to deal with it. In this way, he can determine where the Thing came from: the gods? fate? coincidence? mankind?
- Marcus makes a statement about how to live a good life: follow the path of reason, stay focused, maintain the purity of your inner spark of divinity—and keep struggling to do all this.
- Marcus speaks of philosophy as a curative tool—like a surgeon's instruments. This tool helps him to see things for what they are, and it helps him respond to them appropriately.
- Marcus is especially concerned to recognize the human and the divine and to understand how human action relates to the gods.
- Marcus gets real with himself: he's just not going to be a scholar, actually reading those books he'd set aside for a rainy day.
- In this case, he might as well get along with the rest of his life and do what he's meant to do—which is to lead the active life and rule well.
- Marcus here refers to "they"—and not in flattering terms. When he pulls out the third person plural, Marcus is usually referring to the ignorant people around him.
- In this case, "they" don't have good powers of discernment, and "they" can't define the important actions of life, because they lack a moral I.Q.
- Marcus susses out what makes a good person. Everyone (animals included) receives sense impressions. And everyone (even cowards and traitors) has a mind.
- But a good person accepts his or her fate without complaint and takes care of that "divinity within" by respecting the gods and behaving justly.
- Marcus is also focused on this way of life, and he pays no attention to detractors. He's looking ahead to the final goal: embracing death as a harmonious part of life.