Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §12.22.1

Attaining Inner Peace by Removing Opinion

Passage 472 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author explains that everything is opinion and lies within one's power; by removing this opinion, one can achieve instant inner peace, like rounding a headland into a quiet, waveless bay.

§12.22.1Ὅτι πάντα ὑπόληψις καὶ αὕτη ἐπὶ σοί.
That everything is opinion, and this itself is in your power.
ἆρον οὖν ὅτε θέλεις τὴν ὑπόληψιν καὶ ὥσπερ κάμψαντι τὴν ἄκραν γαλήνη, σταθερὰ πάντα καὶ κόλπος ἀκύμων.
Take away then the opinion when you wish, and just as for one who has rounded the headland, there is calm, all is still, and a waveless bay.

Notes

  1. 12.22.1Ὅτι — Just as in the previous section (12.21.1), the main verb (such as 'remember' or 'bear in mind') is omitted, leaving the ὅτι clause standing independently.
  2. 12.22.1κάμψαντι — Dative singular masculine aorist active participle of κάμπτω ('to bend', 'to round'). It functions as a dative of reference, meaning 'for one who has rounded (the cape), there is...'.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §12.22.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.22.1

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