Summary of Stop Wanting, Start Accepting | The Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

00:00:00 - 00:15:00

Marcus Aurelius was a Stoic philosopher who believed in accepting change and living in the present. He believed that humans have the power to use reason to follow a wiser path than our animalistic nature.

• 00:00:00 Marcus Aurelius wrote about accepting transience, the coming and ceasing of generations of people. He urged himself to live in the present and not get bogged down by the past or worry about future events.
• 00:05:00 In Stoicism, change is a fact of life that is to be embraced rather than fought. Accepting change allows for a more positive outlook on life, as everything is temporary and nothing is worth worrying about. Prayers directed towards things we can control are more effective than those directed towards things we cannot.
• 00:10:00 Marcus Aurelius encourages accepting your nature, which includes your appearance, physical weaknesses, and fate of aging and death. He tells himself to remember the nature of the world, how he relates to it, and that he's part of nature and supposed to live in harmony with it. Humans have the power to use reason to transcend our animalistic nature and follow a wiser path.
• 00:15:00 Marcus Aurelius teaches that it is rational to accept the circumstances we cannot change, even if they are unpleasant. This allows us to focus on the things we can control.