Marcus Aurelius: A Closer Look
Marcus Aurelius is widely regarded as the father of Stoicism. He was a philosopher and Roman emperor whose quotes are nearly unavoidable on social media. Stoicism is based on the idea that virtue and honor should be pursued while you endure the pains and hardships of life with little to no complaint. In a time of pandemics and economic hardships, it’s little wonder why Stoicism has made a huge comeback in modern times.
History remembers Marcus Aurelius as a philosophical powerhouse. Yet, in reality, Marcus Aurelius is just one of the famous classical philosophers who followed the ideals of Stoicism. He literally defined what it means to be mentally tough, but how tough was he?
Would Marcus Aurelius be able to absorb modern day troubles with the same stoic spirit that he did while he was emperor of Rome?
Was he physical tough, mentally tough, or just someone who wrote about it in his journal?
Let’s take a closer look at the life and lessons of Marcus Aurelius.
Physical Toughness
You’ve probably seen a bodybuilding post on social media with a quote from Marcus Aurelius. His stoicism quotes are often used to help motivate people to push themselves further in the gym. One of the most popular workout quotes is this one: “Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.” – Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations.
You might’ve also seen someone posting about their tireless workout routine with the caption: “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
From his famous quotes, you’d think that Marcus Aurelius could totally squash a tough workout routine, but was he a physically imposing man in his real life? Well, as a military man, Marcus Aurelius wasn’t exactly a tough soldier like Valerian or Maximinus Thrax. The reign of Marcus Aurelius was troubled with rebellions and foreign uprisings from the Parthians and Germans. There isn’t any surviving record of Aurelius himself doing any of the fighting, but he led a vigorous military campaign to reassert the dominance of Roman rule.
According to Britannica, Marcus Aurelius wasn’t a man of robust physical health. Some of his health problems included chest and stomach pains, poor appetite, and problems sleeping. He had to cope with a chronic ulcer and daily medications.
So, it’s safe to say that Aurelius’ physical health didn’t hold with the modern image of a tough guy. Although he wasn’t an imposing fighter or military figure, his struggles to retain good health certainly benefitted from the ideals of Stoicism. He could withstand physical punishment and he constantly dealt with the concept of his own mortality.
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love …” – Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations.
“Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what’s left and live it properly. What doesn’t transmit light creates its own darkness.” – Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations.
“Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.” – Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations.
Mental Toughness
If you’re struggling with difficult people in your life or difficult situations, then Marcus Aurelius quotes can really be helpful. He often spoke about ignoring negativity from others and focusing on your own sense of self-esteem. Aurelius was a proponent of internalizing problematic situations and focusing your attention on things that you can change by ignoring things that you can’t change.
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor during the Golden Age of Rome. He came from a prominent political family; nearly everyone held some sort of high office before or after Aurelius came to power. His transition to power was peaceful and he was popular among the people he ruled over. So, why all the brooding stoicism quotes from his writings?
Related: 7 ways to increase mental toughness
Marcus Aurelius faced daunting diplomatic challenges. His writings in The Meditations could be regarded as notes to self. He wasn’t so much as the father of Stoicism as he was the student of the philosophy. All his famous quotes about being mentally tough were his way of cultivating these habits within himself.
“When another blames you or hates you, or people voice similar criticisms, go to their souls, penetrate inside and see what sort of people they are. You will realize that there is no need to be racked with anxiety that they should hold any particular opinion about you.” – Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations.
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself in your way of thinking.” – Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations.
The Link Between CBT and Marcus Aurelius
Some would argue that without Marcus Aurelius we wouldn’t have Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT. It’s a type of therapy that has been proven effective against depression, anxiety, phobias, and suicidality. In CBT, there’s an underlying concept that your thoughts, actions, and feelings are all connected. CBT implores you to challenge negative belief systems and thoughts to create a new reality for yourself. CBT focuses on your current situation, not so much your past, and the process of developing ways to break out of negative patterns.
Related: Learn 7 reasons men seek out therapy
Donald Robertson, the author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, has made an extensive study on the life of Marcus Aurelius. He praises Marcus Aurelius for his contribution to philosophy, psychotherapy, and the concept of mental toughness. He also recognizes the connection between the Stoics and modern Cognitive Behavioural Therapists.
In an interview with DailyStoic.com, Robertson noted that, “Greek and Roman Stoicism inspired cognitive therapy, as we’ve seen, which is actually known to be an effective approach to coping with pain. The Stoics clearly distinguish the sensations of pain and discomfort, which they view with neutrality and indifference, from our emotional distress in response to pain, which they view as, at least in part, under our voluntary control and worth improving. Most people feel frustrated with pain, focus on it, and struggle with it emotionally, and even in terms of their behaviour. The Stoics teach a radical acceptance of pain, which is actually consistent with modern evidence-based psychotherapy.”
Emotional Toughness
One of the prevailing components of Stoicism is anger management. In fact, Marcus Aurelius himself struggled to control his anger. There is an entire section of his work, The Meditations, which deals exclusively with anger management. So, this book was a self-help journal for Aurelius.
“From Rusticus, I gained the idea that I was in need of correction and therapy for my character,” he wrote.
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor, and that high office would certainly have moments that challenged his ability to control his emotional resilience. Stoicism was a terrific way for him to redirect his energy to things that mattered the most. Instead of rising up in anger, he could challenge the thoughts and feelings to see if they rang true.
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?”
And here’s another:
“The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.”
Marcus Aurelius clearly wanted to cultivate a sense of emotional toughness in himself. It’s something that he struggled with in his own life. The widespread publication of his struggles with emotional toughness makes him worthy of the accolades bestowed to him by later historians.
So, How Tough Was Marcus Aurelius?
Although Marcus Aurelius gets most of the credit for being the father of Stoicism, he wasn’t the originator of the concept. Aurelius learned Stoicism from Epictetus, Plato, Zeno, Sextus of Chaeronea, and other philosophers that came before him. Yet, he excelled at marketing it to the rest of the world because he was a Roman emperor.
Marcus Aurelius benefitted from living in the time of Roman greatness known as the Golden Era. He wasn’t a particularly exemplary statesman or military commander. His philosophy is popular now, but it borrowed heavily from the philosophers that came before him. Marcus Aurelius’ stoicism is all about conquering anger, overcoming self-doubt, reigning in bad habits, and coming face to face with one’s own mortality.
These are inner demons that men grapple with on a daily basis. So, the words of Marcus Aurelius have lots of value for the modern man even though Aurelius wasn’t the tough guy that history paints him to be. He was resilient and dealt with personal adversities in a very public way. That alone makes him a model for modern men to follow.
