Independence and Purpose According to Marcus Aurelius
By: Jacob Wilkins
Tags: Wisdom, Philosophy, History, Self Improvement, Ancient History

Independence and Purpose According to Marcus Aurelius

The wisdom of Marcus Aurelius will never age

A person holding a lamp inside a cave by Jeremy Bishop (Pexels)

Marcus Aurelius was the ruler of the Roman Empire from 160–181 AD. He was the last emperor of the Pax Romana, a relatively peaceful era. But Aurelius wasn’t just a ruler. He was also a philosopher.

Meditations — his most well-known work — is a fascinating text crammed with valuable knowledge. Whilst Aurelius never intended his work to be seen by the wider public, Meditations is a timeless self-help book.

In Book V of this great work, Aurelius addresses independence and purpose. And just like the rest of Meditations, his insights on these two subjects are still relevant today.

Independence

Individualism and self-improvement are at the core of Aurelius’s teachings. He puts great emphasis on the ability to forge one’s own path rather than following others:

‘Don’t be put off by other people’s comments and criticism … Don’t be distracted. Keep walking. Follow your own nature …’

Indeed, it’s easy to feel down when we are harmed by others. But we can change this if we change our outlook. If other people hurt us, that’s their problem — they’re the one with the issue.

This links to one of Aurelius’s central themes: perception. According to the great emperor, our surroundings shouldn’t have any impact on the soul, for they cannot move or direct it. How we interpret the world molds who we are, not the world itself:

‘Remember, nothing belongs to you but your flesh and blood — and nothing else is under your control.’

Bust of Marcus Aurelius, c. 170 AD (Wikimedia Commons)

Purpose

Aurelius believes we should dedicate our time to something we love. Of course, in the modern world (or any time, for that matter), this is easier said than done.

Those who love their occupation sometimes neglect food or sleep because they are so devoted. If, however, we are reluctant to get out of bed in the morning, we know we’re doing the wrong thing.

It’s also important to deal with failure in the right way. We shouldn’t feel exasperated or defeated when we fail. Instead, we should get back up and continue to embrace the pursuit we’ve embarked upon.

And despite how much emphasis Aurelius places upon the self, he also acknowledges the importance of community in relation to the purpose of the individual.

He encourages us to do favors, but not because we want something in return. We should help others in our community almost unconsciously. In other words, it should become a habit:

‘They’re like a vine that produces grapes without looking for anything in return … They don’t make a fuss about it. They just go on to something else … We should be like that. Acting almost unconsciously.’

Conclusion

Meditations is a goldmine of wisdom, and Book V is no exception.

There are two central ideas to take away from this part of the text:

(1) Rather than worrying about the criticisms of others, we should focus on our own path. Those who seek to criticise are the ones with the problem. And, more broadly, perception is key — we are moulded by our outlook.

(2) Purpose comes from finding something we love doing and embracing it. Failure shouldn’t remove us from the path we have embarked on. And if we can also help others, we will find an even greater sense of purpose.

Of course, both these ideas are difficult to put into practice immediately. Resisting the negativity of others and pursuing something we love is challenging. But at the very least, we should take in Aurelius’s wisdom and make a conscious effort to implement his advice.