Humble Art

I’ve been checking out the Daily Stoic, which is a ‘daily devotional’ that for every day of the year, has a short quote from one of the Stoic philosophers (primarily Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, or Epictetus). I thought that I would make my own comments on the quotes from days that speak to me.


“Love the humble art you have learned, and take rest in it. Pass through the remainder of your days as one who whole-heartedly entrusts all possessions to the gods, making yourself neither a tyrant nor a slave to any person.’ — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.31

In the original Latin: “Artem, quam didicisti, diligito et in ea acquiesceto: quod autem vitae super est, id ita exigito, ut qui Deo omnia ex toto animo commiseris, neque ullius hominis aut dominum aut servum te praebeto.”

‘Hold dear the art you have learned’ but entrust all to God. Belief and rely on my own capacities, and let the fruit be as they may, whether they be 10, 50, or 100-fold. In relations with others, be neither a tyrant nor a slave…regardless of my outer situation, the tyranny or slavery is internal. I’m to be free in my interpretations and relations to the outer realities.

July 10, 2018

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *