“How to Think like a Roman Emperor…” has literally changed my life in giving me a deeper dive into Stoicism, helping me actually apply it to my life and retrain my thoughts that led me to be depressed. I’ve struggled with depression since 2005, and Stoicism, plus exercise (specifically running outside), plus talking with a therapist and taking medication have helped me immensely and possibly “cured” my depression (it’s only been 3 weeks since doing all 4 things simultaneously). I recommend starting off with Donald Robertsons book “How to Think like a Roman Emperor…” and then reading the Gregory Hayes translation of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. The free translations (e.g.: George Long) are written in "ye olde English" and hence less accessible.
My notes after reading each chapter:
Chapter 1. The dead emperor.
There are four virtues: wisdom, justice, courage and moderation. These virtues should take priority above worldly things. Our ability to reason is what makes us human. Marcus Aurelius was not afraid of death.
Chapter 2. The most truthful child in Rome.
Summary
Marcus didn’t concern himself with sounding smart but practical wisdom for everyday use. Conciseness and objectivity should be applied to our speech and describing a situation. Our initial feelings are natural, what matters is how we apply reason to the feelings and situation. It’s not things that upset us but our judgements about things that upset us. The things that we don’t have control over are neither good nor bad. Ask, what would [virtuous person] do?
Chapter 3. Contemplating the sage.
To communicate wisely, we must phrase things appropriately.
To be pure of heart, we must never crave anything that requires walls or curtains around our thoughts. Imagine if a role model followed you around and knew your thoughts.
Ask yourself “what would [role model] do?” Model a role models behavior and attitude.
Start each day preparing yourself for what you will face and think how your role model will face the situation. Review your day and ask how you could improve and what you did well.
Create a list of things desired and admired qualities.
Chapter 4. The choice of Hercules.
The life of pleasure doesn’t lead to greatness. Pleasure doesn’t equal happiness. Purpose and fulfillment bring great satisfaction, not the pursuit of earthly pleasures.
Joy should be active rather than passive. It’s comes from perceiving the virtuous quality of our actions.
Contemplate virtue in ourselves and others. Appreciate the things you already have and contemplate how you would miss them if you didn’t have them.
What’re the long terms pros and cons of a habit?
Spot early warning signs so you can nip problematic desires in the bud.
Gain cognitive distance: view thoughts as if they aren’t your own. “Depreciation by analysis”: Break down things in smaller chunks, or into their basic elements.
Don’t fall into the double standard of admiring another person’s virtue and downplay yourself pursuing or having that same virtue.
Chapter 5. Grasping the nettle.
Pain is ephemeral. Think of pain in a detached manner. Physical disabilities do not impede our ability to pursue virtue. Our preconceived judgement about pain affects how we perceive it.
Chapter 6. The inner citadel and war of many nations.
“The obstacle standing in the way becomes the way” and can become an advantage.
Do things with a reserve clause (Fate permitting, God willing). Be indifferent to the results, the pursuit of virtue itself is the reward.
Premeditate adversity to make adversity less daunting and to make facing it easier.
Exposure therapy, playing through an event in our mind like a short film, where it has a beginning, middle and end, can help with reducing anxiety over time.
True inner peace comes from the nature of our own thoughts rather than pleasant natural surroundings.
The universe is change. Life is opinion. Contemplate impermanence. External things cannot touch the soul, but our disturbances all arise from within. Things don’t upset us, but our values judgements about them do. Cognitive distancing enables us to do this.
When anxious about something, ask “what’s next”. Helps with de-catastrophiz-ing. Eg: if you lose your job, eventually you’ll get a new job. Practice time projection, how will you view X event in 20 years? Why should you be anxious about the event if it won’t concern you in 20 years?
Chapter 7. Temporary madness.
No one does evil or makes mistakes willingly.
Be ready to accept the errors of people. We still share a common humanity with those who oppose us and should treat our enemies with kindness. Even though someone may try to harm us, they cannot damage our true character.
Anger is a form of desire, desire for revenge, desire for punishment. Can stem from a rule that is important to us that has been broken.
Before we’re angry (in the moment, it’s hard to remember these strategies): practice and remember to self-monitor, cognitive distancing (our judgement about events concern us, not the event itself), postponement, what would X do, functional analysis (eg: what will happen if we let anger guide us).
Interacting with troublesome people is an opportunity to practice virtue.
Anger does harm to the person harboring anger.
Bad people do bad things, we can’t expect bad people to do good things.
We should not be surprised by the events of the world and people’s actions.
Chapter 8. Death and view from above.
All things change and before long they are gone. You cannot step into the same river twice, Heraclitus once said, because new waters are constantly flowing through it.
In a sense, death is returning to the state of non-existence before we were born. We were dead centuries before we were born.
Philosophy is a lifelong meditation on our own mortality.
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How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
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Reviews with images
Perfect book but badly manipulated
This is the book that whoever needs a change of paradigms should read. I was introduced to the stoicism by a friend and now I’m sure my college son will appreciate it too. I’m disappointed that the book is dirty and I hope wiping it down won’t ruin the cover. I have to send it tomorrow to him and don’t have time to return it.
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Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (Ed)
A life-changer!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2024