![]() He writes that we should be careful not to spread ourselves too thin when it comes to choosing which books we read and that we should focus instead on diving deeply into the works of “master thinkers.” Like Marcus Aurelius and the other Stoics, Seneca recognized the value of moderation in reading. – Marcus Aurelius Seneca Quotes About Reading and Writing “Learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference.” “Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability.” At the same time, he believed that we can learn to gain power over our own minds to lead a life in accordance with Nature. ![]() – Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius on Learning and EducationĪs an incredibly educated man, Marcus Aurelius recognized that natural ability plays a huge role in a person’s ability to achieve greatness in life. “In reading and writing, you cannot lay down rules until you have learnt to obey them. “From Alexander the Platonic, not frequently nor without necessity to say to any one, or to write in a letter, that I have no leisure nor continually to excuse the neglect of duties required by our relation to those with whom we live, by alleging urgent occupations.” “Perhaps there are none more lazy, or more truly ignorant, than your everlasting readers.” For I fell not into the hands of any Sophist, nor sat poring over many volumes, nor devoted myself to solving syllogisms, or star-gazing.” “The Gods watched over me also when I first applied myself to philosophy. “Cast your books from you distract yourself no more for you have not the right to do so.” “He does not write at all whose poems no man reads.” "Mastery of reading and writing requires a master. He wisely recognized that even reading can become a crutch and an escape and that there are other duties in life that must be attended to. Though obviously an avid reader, Aurelius reminds himself several times in his writings of the importance of another virtue– moderation– in relation to reading. He also read Roman law texts and is thought to have enjoyed reading histories and satires, and even mentions one of Aesop’s fables. From the texts, he references in his Meditations and a number of Roman histories that tell the story of the Stoic philosopher and emperor, we know that Aurelius read the works of great philosophers such as Epictetus, Plato, and Heraclitus. ![]() Marcus Aurelius, of course, was an incredibly well-read man. After all, doesn’t reading make you wise, and isn’t wisdom one of the cardinal virtues? When you think about some of the wisest minds of history, like that of Marcus Aurelius, it’s easy to assume that they would advise everyone to spend as much time reading as possible. Stoic Quotes About Reading Marcus Aurelius Quotes About Reading, Books, and Writing ![]()
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