“There are three things of which you are compounded: body, vital spirit, mind.
Two of these are your own in so far as you must take care of them, but only the third is in the strict sense your own.
So, if you separate from yourself,
namely from your mind,
all that others do or say,
all that you yourself did or said,
all that troubles you in the future,
all that as part of the bodily envelope or natural spirit attaches to you without your will, and all that the external circumfluent vortex whirls round, so that your mind power, freed from the chain of necessity, lives purified and released by itself—doing what is just, willing what comes to pass, and speaking what is true;
if you separate, I say, from this governing self what is attached to it by sensibility, and what of time is hereafter or has gone by, and make yourself like the sphere of Empedocles, 'Rounded, rejoicing in the solitude which is about it',
and practice only to live the life you are living, that is the present, then
you will have it in your power at least to live out the time that is left until you die, untroubled and with kindness and reconciled with your own good Spirit.”
~
The secret to a life of dignity and tranquilly lies in your ability to isolate yourself from the external noises that constantly try to disturb you.
To do this {{username}},
There is only one way,
and that is to believe in your spiritual integrity, which Marcus Aurelius compares in his text to "the sphere of Empedocles."
I must tell you my secret {{username}}: When I have moments of doubt, when I feel weak in the face of adversity, it is precisely this mental image that I use: that of a round sphere, as perfect as it can be, containing all the power of the universe and the genius of the world. And I imagine that this perfect round sphere, untouchable and unimpressed, contains my entire being in a single material.
I think that Marcus Aurelius saw the image he uses in his text in the same way: a round sphere that represents our mind as a separate, self-sufficient and perfectly balanced entity.
In ancient physics, the sphere was considered the most perfect form, reflecting balance and equality from every angle. Thus, this state of intelligence symbolizes complete stability and tranquilly, free from any unevenness or imperfections that could cause external distractions or disturbances.
This sphere suggests a deep peace that comes from the certainty of living in accordance with pure reason, a peace that is not only resilient in the face of external challenges, but also a source of pride and personal satisfaction. The satisfaction you derive from being sincerely committed to living according to the highest principles of virtue and logic, reason, and not allowing yourself to be disturbed by anything that might disturb your peace; your intelligence can then work as efficiently and freely as possible, just as the perfect sphere moves freely and unhindered.