Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §5.35.1

Why Not to Be Troubled by What Harms Neither Self nor Society

Passage 136 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author questions why he should be troubled by an event if it neither involves his own vice nor causes harm to the community.

§5.35.1Εἰ μήτε κακία ἐστὶ τοῦτο ἐμὴ μήτε ἐνέργεια κατὰ κακίαν ἐμὴν μήτε τὸ κοινὸν βλάπτεται, τί ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ διαφέρομαι, τίς δὲ βλάβη τοῦ κοινοῦ;
If this is neither a vice of mine, nor an activity according to my vice, nor is the common good harmed, why am I troubled about it? And what harm is there to the common good?

Notes

  1. §5.35.1διαφέρομαι — The passive (or middle) voice of the verb διαφέρω is used here in the sense of 'to be troubled, anxious, or disquieted.' Paired with the prepositional phrase ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ('about it'), it questions the point of worrying over an event when the preceding conditions (neither involving personal vice nor harming the community) are met.
  2. §5.35.1τοῦ κοινοῦ — An objective genitive depending on the noun βλάβη ('harm'), meaning 'harm to the common good' or 'harm to the community,' rather than a subjective genitive ('harm caused by the community').

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §5.35.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.35.1

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