25. Marcus Aurelius on Self-Control

In this episode we unpack Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher Marcus Aurelius's classic book "Meditations" from 170 AD. This book explores... Seeing Things as They Really Are Focusing Only on What is in Your Control Remaining Calm Through Turbulent Times Links to Reading & Articles mentioned Meditations by Marcus Aurelius The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin Principles by Ray Dalio Silence of the Lambs (movie) *note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode! Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com Guest: Steve Chung Theme Music: Polyenso Timestamps 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:11 Modern Interpretations of Stoicism 00:04:21 Translation 00:05:13 Why Aurelius Wrote the Book 00:08:30 Doing Good for the Wrong Reasons 00:09:37 Seeking Truth No Matter Who is Speaking it 00:13:10 The Logos 00:15:19 The Importance of Rationality 00:16:39 Doing What is in Our Nature 00:17:40 Focusing on Yourself 00:20:14 Expect People to Do What is in Their Nature 00:22:03 The Interconnected of All People 00:24:30 What is Natural is Good 00:25:58 Death = Change 00:26:49 Death as the Great Equalizer 00:27:43 Momento Mori 00:28:35 The Difference Between Stoicism and Nihilism 00:31:28 Your Legacy Won’t Live On After You Die 00:33:22 Seeking Approval From Others 00:36:08 Focusing on What is in Our Control 00:37:29 The Transgressor Harms Themselves When They Transgress 00:38:56 External Things Can’t Harm You 00:40:58 All Sin is Due to Ignorance 00:48:30 Equanimity 00:50:04 The Appeal of Stoicism During Times of Great Upheaval 00:53:11 Parallels to Buddhism 00:53:24 Seeing Things Objectively 00:57:35 There is Nothing New Under the Sun 01:00:00 The Present is the Only Time That Exists 01:02:55 Wrapping Up/Outro