Want to learn the ideas in Meditations better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of Meditations

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on Meditations, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Marcus Aurelius.

1-Page Summary of Meditations

Introduction

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor in the second century. His reign was troubled by natural disasters, violence and political turmoil. He was able to maintain his position thanks to his writings that are still relevant today and offer insight into how he managed to do his job amid incredibly stressful circumstances.

This passage will explore some of the emperor’s wisdom for maintaining peace and enjoying life in an unpredictable world.

Dealing with People

You will inevitably have to deal with irritating, incompetent people during your day. Humans are imperfect and annoying, so you’ll probably encounter someone who chews gum in a way that annoys you or has body odor. You may also be dealing with an arrogant person at work or even one of your family members calling you for advice about their love life.

Humans are social creatures, and by nature, they will be involved in injustice. It’s a part of life that we have to accept and deal with.

Anxiety

Life is short and death can come at any moment. You must live in the present moment because you don’t know when your time will be up. People who came before us spent a lot of time worrying about their future, but they died anyway. Your situation isn’t different from theirs; you have to live in the present moment.

Each moment is important because it’s the only one you have. Therefore, don’t worry about things that are outside of your control and do what you can to make yourself happy in each moment.

Fame

Everyone wants to be famous in some way. Perhaps you want to be a parent who inspires their child, or a businessperson who is admired for creating something new and wonderful. Maybe you just want your work to have an impact on other people’s lives.

Although fame is a great thing, you should stop worrying about it and focus on other things. Famous people like writers, inventors, and business leaders have made the world what it is today. However, they all eventually died like everyone else; therefore, you shouldn’t worry about your own death or think that fame will save you from dying someday.

In addition, think about how limited our memory is. Do you know much about your great-great-grandmother? Will people be talking about Martin Scorsese in 200 years? Even the most exciting public figures of today will eventually fade into history. If fame is what you’re after, you’ll never attain it because everyone will forget about you eventually.

Don’t let the fear of failure discourage you. If you love what you do, then it won’t feel like work. Run for office because you enjoy campaigning and meeting people. Make a movie because it’s fun to write the script and direct actors. Write a book because you love developing characters and putting them in difficult situations.

Let Go

You have three main components: your body, the contents of your life, and your mind. You are obligated to take care of them all. Do what you can to stay healthy by eating right and exercising. Also do what you can for family and work obligations to honor those things in your life that matter most. And finally, do what you can with therapy, self-compassion, and intelligence improvement so that you’re doing everything possible to be the best person possible.

While you might think that doing the right things and working hard will help you achieve your goals, it’s important to remember that fate is still a factor in our lives. Even if we do everything right, there are random events beyond our control that can lead us down a different path. Good luck won’t always be on your side even if you make all the correct decisions.