The Roman Empire is something that most people are not only familiar with, but it’s a period in time that a lot of people are fascinated by. Many folks probably know the names of a handful of Roman emperors, including Marcus Aurelius. As Britannica has reported, he was deemed the last of the “Five Good Emperors,” a title given to the “ancient Roman imperial succession” of five emperors who ruled the Roman Empire during its “most majestic days.” Aurelius presided over the empire from 161 CE to 180 CE, when he died of a contagious disease, suspected to be the Antonine Plague, according to Donald Robertson in an interview with Yale University Press.
Not only does he have this favorable legacy as a Roman emperor, but Aurelius was also a Stoic philosopher like Seneca, whom we highlighted recently. It wasn’t common for emperors to also be philosophers, yet he was “the last famous Stoic philosopher of antiquity,” per Robertson, who is also the author of the 2024 book Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor. And with his study of Stoicism, our quote of the day highlights Marcus’s belief in what to do with things we can’t control, and that we really only have the power to control ourselves.
Stoicism was a school of philosophy that was influenced by Greek philosophers such as Socrates and extended to Roman counterparts like Aurelius and Epictetus. Stoics basically leaned into the idea that the only good in this world is that which is logical or reasonable. And in that vein, they taught that people had no control over most things, and worrying about things we couldn’t control would drive humans crazy.
According to Britannica, Aurelius’s most well-known written work is the book Meditations, something that many consider “one of the great books of all time.” It includes the “philosopher-king's” inner thoughts, which consist mainly of the basic “moral tenets” of his philosophy of choice: Stoicism. And again, today’s quote—from that book—focuses on what he had to say about not letting outside forces get to you, because you alone have control over your mind and your actions.
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Quote of the Day by Marcus Aurelius
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“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
This line comes from the book Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Translated many times over the centuries because it was originally written in Greek, this quote comes specifically from the version translated by Aaron Poochigian, which was released in early 2026.
As the book’s description reads, Aurelius did not necessarily write it with the intention of it being published one day. It features a ton of spiritual reflections along with many passages showing self-doubt, despair, happiness and many more internal feelings and thoughts he had during different points in his life and while he was emperor.
While these meditations were never meant to be seen or read by others—they were purely Aurelius’s personal diary of sorts—the description notes that “in developing his beliefs, [he] also created one of the greatest” works of “extended meditations and short aphorisms…”
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The first way you can read this, and what I think Aurelius meant at face value, is that you have control over your own mind; outside elements do not. They do not have dominion over you or how you react to things; you choose how you react to the factors outside of yourself. So, even though it’s easy to get caught up in drama or how something isn’t going your way, you get to decide whether you have a bad time or how you react to a difficult situation. And how much those outside influences impact you is based on how much you allow them to, or the “strength” of your resolve.
The other way you can read this is that you only have control of yourself and your mind. You cannot command outside forces such as other people, the weather, sickness, etc. As someone with diagnosed OCD, this is a notion I have to tell myself often; while my disorder wants to fixate on control and doubt anything that isn’t set in stone, I have to remind myself that I should focus only on things I can actually change. Which quite literally just includes me.
Granted, it’s easier said than done to just focus on yourself and not let other aspects impact your mood or how you see things, including how you perceive your own self-image. And with a lot of Stoic ideals, not everyone can just accept the fact that everything is out of our control. Sure, it’s a nice thought, and it is true, especially regarding death or other inevitable events. But it’s very human to not let things go or to fixate on different points, even if you know it’s not helpful. And people with mental disorders or other quirks literally can’t just "let go" without outside help.
However, the main thing you should take away from this quote is to slow down and remind yourself that there are some things you can’t manipulate. And that you shouldn’t let other people or uncontrollable elements impact or change who you are or how you react to things.
Related: Psychiatrist Alfred Adler on the 'Meanings We Give to Situations’ and Choosing Our Own Paths
More Quotes from Marcus Aurelius
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love...”Up Next:
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