How to Read Marcus Aurelius' Meditations (A Daily Stoic Guide)

"To live a good life: we have the potential for it" -- Marcus Aurelius

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is one of the most powerful books in the world. The private thoughts of the world’s most powerful man giving advice to himself on how to make good on the responsibilities and obligations of his positions. 

A book that for over 2,000 years has guided the lives of some of history’s most powerful leaders including Theodore Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, General Mattis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Steinbeck, and more. 

A book of reminders written to make the reader humble, patient, empathetic, generous, and strong in the face of whatever the world throws at them. It’s written in a straightforward and accessible style without any complex philosophical jargon. Unlike most books, there’s no pretense, no performance, no intent to impress an audience. 

You would think it would be easy to read. Yet, many people struggle with and get frustrated by Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. They leave the book before fully realizing its potential. 

What translation should I get? Should it be read cover to cover or is it better to approach it in bite-sized pieces? Do you read it once or multiple times? Did Marcus mean to come off so dark and dour? Why was Marcus writing? How was he writing? 

What you need is a coach. Someone to guide you through the book to make sure you squeeze all the practical philosophy out of it. To make you realize why powerful readers have been returning to the book over and over for two millenia. 

Here at Daily Stoic, we have worked for the last decade to try to make Marcus Aurelius accessible and practical for people (we even publish what we think is the best edition you can get of him).

We’ve spent hundreds and thousands of hours not just with his writings but also with the best experts and translators and students of Stoicism to help make sense of what he meant and what he can do for us. It’s the work of a lifetime exploring the depths of Meditations—and as Marcus would say of any great work of art, you get something new out of it each time you go to it. 

This is why we put together what we’re calling How to Read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations (A Daily Stoic Guide).

Like a book club or an annotated version of your favorite book, it’s designed to give you context, fill in the blanks, and illustrate how to apply the same “spiritual exercises” Marcus used to improve your own life. Whether you’re brand new to Stoicism or ready to finally dive deeper into this philosophy, this course is designed to equip you with the very best tools and wisdom Stoicism has to offer straight from the best example of its virtues.