Q0039
“Begin the morning by saying to yourself: Today I shall meet the…” — Marcus Aurelius (Meditations II.1)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Meditations II.1. Theme: virtue.
English
Begin the morning by saying to yourself: Today I shall meet the busybody, the ungrateful, the arrogant…
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Meditations II.1 and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE) was Roman emperor from 161 and a practicing Stoic who wrote private Greek notes later titled Meditations. He spent much of his reign on military campaigns along the Danube amid plague and political strain.
Interpretation
This is Marcus preparing for the day rather than complaining about it. He lists the difficult people he expects to meet and states what he takes to be true about them — that they act from ignorance of good and bad — so that his response is not surprise or retaliation. The practice is a form of pre-emptive reasoning: decide in advance what is up to you. It appears at the opening of the Meditations as a rule he sets for himself.
Why it matters
The transferable part is the anticipatory move: decide how you will respond before the situation arrives, while you still have the use of your judgement.
Concepts in this quote
- Virtue
- Virtue names excellences of character—habits of perception and action oriented toward the good.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Marcus Aurelius. (n.d.). Begin the morning by saying to yourself: Today I shall meet the busybody, the ungrateful, the arrogant… In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0039
MLA: Marcus Aurelius. “Begin the morning by saying to yourself: Today….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0039.
Chicago: Marcus Aurelius. “Begin the morning by saying to yourself: Today….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0039.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Begin the morning by saying to yourself: Today…”?
The passage is attributed to Marcus Aurelius, Meditations II.1. The archive attributes this English wording to Meditations II.1 and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Marcus Aurelius mean by virtue?
Virtue ethics asks not only which acts are right, but what kind of person one becomes. Courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom are classic Western lists; Confucian ren and yi offer related but distinct vocabularies. This passage enters that discussion through virtue.