29 March 2006

"About what am I now employing my own soul? On every occasion I must ask myself this question, and inquire, what have I now in this part of me which they call the ruling principle? And whose soul have I now? That of a child, or of a young man, or of a feeble woman, or of a tyrant, or of a domestic animal, or of a wild beast?"

'The Meditations' Marcus Aurelius, 167 A.D.

2 comments:

Robin CHAN said...

Sounds more like soul searching than meditations.. haha

A interesting quote. Thanks.

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

Marcus Aurelius was a good emperor but he did live in tumultuous times where barbarians threatened the imperial borders. And his son, Commodus, was, of course, most unlike him. It is doubtless that he did a lot of soulsearching and thinking throughout his enlightened reign.