Stoicism might not be for everyone, it assumes more free will then we might have, and it places responsibility on the individual to be comfortable with their own unhappiness, but there is enough in these writings by the emperor to connect to many human generations. Meditations: A New Translation (2003) by Gregory Hays is published by Modern Library, a division of Random House.

It started with random videos on YouTube, and I kept hearing about Marcus Aurelius and his stoic philosophy. Lee lifted the breadbox and took out a tiny volume bound in leather, and the gold tooling was almost completely worn away—The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius in English translation. And thus can be life changing - if the moral guide Marcus lays out, based on the ancient virtues of Stoic philosophy, are applied in practice in ones life.That I conferred on the people who brought me up the honors they seemed to want early on, instead of putting them off (since they were still young) with the hope that I'd do it later. Consequently, the Meditations have become required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style. Focus on the things that are truly important in life, such as your relationships, your health, and your happiness.

I, too, deal with the stress of life and I have to ask myself, “What is in my control and what isn’t?Nevertheless, Meditations is a cornerstone of the practical philosophy genre and this new translation will make up a vital part of a classic bookshelf. The bottom line for me, was that it was simply hard to get into the flow of reading Meditations, but the content was at times very enjoyable and relatable. Nearly two thousand years after it was written, Meditations remains profoundly relevant for anyone seeking to lead a meaningful life. That when I became interested in philosophy I didn't fall into the hands of charlatans, and didn't get bogged down in writing treatises, or become absorbed by logic-chopping, or preoccupied with physics.

There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. Hays provides a clearly written introduction in which he explains the philosophical influences on Marcus Aurelius as well as the political and familial pressures he experienced. When plumbing such depths of existential philosophy, having to reread a sentence three or four times just to fathom what's being said inevitably saps energy from the ability to ponder the actual meaning of the text, turning what should be an edifying delight into a frustrating chore. This was not meant for publication and doesn’t seem like a straightforward diary, but it has been in modern times considered a self-help book.Very useful introduction by the translator Gregory Hays sets the stage for understanding Aurelius's influences and his contemporary reality as the last of the Roman Emperors of the "Pax Romana" era. All that aside, even giving every benefit of every doubt for my chosen medium (chosen because it was, like the Hitchhiker's Guide before it, "slightly cheaper," - read: free), this translation is. The Meditations refers often to the need to act "unselfishly," yet much of its advice seems to center on seeking tranquillity within oneself and ignoring the outside world.