Why are we talking about the Stoics two thousand years since they died? Why do the works and memories of Marcus and Seneca and Epictetus outlive them? 

It’s simple. Because they make our lives better. That’s why you care about Marcus Aurelius—not because he was famous or important, but because some of the ideas he jotted down improve your own. 

This—despite all those reminders to himself about the foolishness of hoping for posthumous fame—we can imagine, would actually please Marcus. We can imagine him nodding in agreement with what Prince Philip said about legacy shortly before he died:

I’d rather other people decide what legacy I left. I’m not trying to create one. Life’s going to go on after me and if I can make life marginally more tolerable for other people I’d be delighted. 

As we said a little while back, legacy is not for you. But doing what you can in the here and now to make life better for others? That is. That is a kind of legacy you can work to stamp into every day you get. What did we do for others? Did we embody good character? Did we embody the philosophy—not just talk about it?

That’s all that really matters.