Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §7.27.1

Appreciating What Is Present without Overvaluing It

Passage 223 of 486 · Greek

Summary

One should appreciate and be grateful for the best of what is currently present rather than yearning for what is absent, while simultaneously warning against overvaluing them to avoid distress upon their eventual loss.

§7.27.1Μὴ τὰ ἀπόντα ἐννοεῖν ὡς ἤδη ὄντα, ἀλλὰ τῶν παρόντων τὰ δεξιώτατα ἐκλογίζεσθαι καὶ τούτων χάριν ὑπομιμνῄσκεσθαι πῶς ἂν ἐπεζητεῖτο, εἰ μὴ παρῆν.
Do not think of things that are absent as though they were already present, but reckon up the most fortunate of those things that are present, and in relation to them, remind yourself how eagerly they would be sought after if they were not there.
ἅμα μέντοι φυλάσσου, μὴ διὰ τοῦ οὕτως ἀσμενίζειν αὐτοῖς ἐθίσῃς ἐκτιμᾶν αὐτά, ὥστε, ἐάν ποτε μὴ παρῇ, ταραχθήσεσθαι.
But at the same time, take care lest, through being so well pleased with them, you accustom yourself to overvalue them, so that you would be troubled if they should ever not be present.

Notes

  1. 7.27.1Μὴ ... ἐννοεῖν ... ἐκλογίζεσθαι ... ὑπομιμνῄσκεσθαι — This series of infinitives functions as "imperative infinitives" expressing independent commands without an explicit subject.
  2. 7.27.1πῶς ἂν ἐπεζητεῖτο, εἰ μὴ παρῆν — The combination of the particle ἄν with the imperfect indicative (ἐπεζητεῖτο) and the conjunction εἰ with the imperfect indicative (παρῆν) expresses a condition contrary to present fact, meaning "how they would be sought after if they were not (currently) present."
  3. 7.27.1ὥστε ... ταραχθήσεσθαι — The conjunction ὥστε introducing a result clause takes the future passive infinitive (ταραχθήσεσθαι), indicating the future "troubled" state that would result from the aforementioned overvaluation (ἐκτιμᾶν).

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §7.27.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.27.1

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