Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §6.21.1

Accepting Correction Gladly in Pursuit of Truth

Passage 158 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author states that one should gladly correct oneself when shown to be wrong, as seeking the truth harms no one, whereas persisting in self-deception and ignorance is what causes harm.

§6.21.1Εἴ τίς με ἐλέγξαι καὶ παραστῆσαί μοι, ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθῶς ὑπολαμβάνω ἢ πράσσω, δύναται, χαίρων μεταθήσομαι· ζητῶ γὰρ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὑφ’ ἧς οὐδεὶς πώποτε ἐβλάβη, βλάπτεται δὲ ὁ ἐπιμένων ἐπὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀπάτης καὶ ἀγνοίας.
If anyone is able to refute me and show me that I do not think or act rightly, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever harmed, but he is harmed who abides in his own deceit and ignorance.

Notes

  1. 6.21.1χαίρων — Present active participle used adverbially. It agrees with the subject of the main verb μεταθήσομαι ('I will change') to express the manner or state of the subject: 'with joy' or 'gladly'.
  2. 6.21.1μεταθήσομαι — First-person singular future middle of μετατίθημι ('to transpose, change'). It is used here intransitively or reflexively, meaning 'to change one's mind' or 'to correct oneself'.
  3. 6.21.1ὁ ἐπιμένων ἐπὶ — Substantive use of the present participle ἐπιμένων (from ἐπιμένω, 'to remain, persist') with the definite article ὁ. Accompanied by the preposition ἐπί with the genitive case, it means 'the one who persists in' or 'the one who clings to'.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §6.21.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.21.1

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