Q0040
“Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand…” — Marcus Aurelius (Meditations IV.17)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Meditations IV.17. Theme: virtue.
English
Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Meditations IV.17 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.
How to read this passage
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, death.
Concepts in this quote
- Virtue
- Virtue names excellences of character—habits of perception and action oriented toward the good.
- Death
- Philosophy quotes about death confront mortality, fear, legacy, and what a finite life can mean.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Marcus Aurelius. (n.d.). Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0040
MLA: Marcus Aurelius. “Do not act as if you were going….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0040.
Chicago: Marcus Aurelius. “Do not act as if you were going….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0040.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Do not act as if you were going…”?
The passage is attributed to Marcus Aurelius, Meditations IV.17. The archive attributes this English wording to Meditations IV.17 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, death.