“Just as when meat or other foods are set before us we think, this is a dead fish, a dead bird or pig; and also, this fine wine is only the juice of a bunch of grapes, this purple-edged robe just sheep’s wool dyed in a bit of blood from (more…)
“You have been formed of three parts—body, breath, and mind. Of these, the first two are yours insofar as they are only in your care. The third alone is truly yours.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 12.3 Hongera sana mwanamafanikio kwa siku hii nyingine nzuri sana ya leo. Ni nafasi bora na (more…)
“These are the characteristics of the rational soul: self-awareness, self-examination, and self-determination. It reaps its own harvest. . . . It succeeds in its own purpose . . .” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 11.1–2 Ni siku nyingine mpya, siku bora na ya kipekee sana kwetu. Ni shukrani pekee tunayopaswa kuitoa kwa (more…)
“When you let your attention slide for a bit, don’t think you will get back a grip on it whenever you wish—instead, bear in mind that because of today’s mistake everything that follows will be necessarily worse. . . . Is it possible to be free from error? Not by (more…)
“Here’s a way to think about what the masses regard as being ‘good’ things. If you would first start by setting your mind upon things that are unquestionably good—wisdom, self-control, justice, courage—with this preconception you’ll no longer be able to listen to the popular refrain that there are too many (more…)
“Epictetus says we must discover the missing art of assent and pay special attention to the sphere of our impulses—that they are subject to reservation, to the common good, and that they are in proportion to actual worth.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 11.37 Hongera sana mwanamafanikio kwa siku hii nyingine nzuri (more…)
“What is bad luck? Opinion. What are conflict, dispute, blame, accusation, irreverence, and frivolity? They are all opinions, and more than that, they are opinions that lie outside of our own reasoned choice, presented as if they were good or evil. Let a person shift their opinions only to what (more…)
“Do away with the opinion I am harmed, and the harm is cast away too. Do away with being harmed, and harm disappears.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 4.7 Siku mpya, siku bora na ya kipekee sana kwetu. Tumeipata nafasi hii adimu ya kwenda kuweka juhudi kubwa ili kuweza kupata matokeo bora (more…)
“Pay close attention in conversation to what is being said, and to what follows from any action. In the action, immediately look for the target, in words, listen closely to what’s being signaled.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.4 Hongera sana mwanamafanikio kwa siku hii nyingine nzuri sana ya leo. Ni nafasi (more…)
“Nothing will ever befall me that I will receive with gloom or a bad disposition. I will pay my taxes gladly. Now, all the things which cause complaint or dread are like the taxes of life—things from which, my dear Lucilius, you should never hope for exemption or seek escape.” (more…)