What Marcus Aurelius Meant by “Our Life Is What Our Thoughts Make It”
The Stoic Roman emperor had a good point
Although Marcus Aurelius was a military commander and the Roman emperor from 161 to 180 CE, he is now most famous as a philosopher. A thinker and Stoic, he reflected on the meaning of life and how to cope well, and much like Buddha, he was interested in how to ease suffering using the mind. He recognized we aren’t in control of much that happens to us, but we get to handle what we make of events and how we react to them.
He is famous for saying:
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts,” and “our life is what our thoughts make it.”
To understand what he meant, it helps to break down his philosophy into two key points:
All the data we hear stems from people’s beliefs, and everything we see is just a point of view.
Information comes from beliefs
It’s natural to conclude at least some data you hear of is true, yet Marcus Aurelius suggested all data arises from opinions. You could argue he’s incorrect. Scientists, after all, surely test their theories to ensure they are right before they…
