Reddit mentions of Meditations (Penguin Classics)

Came on to say the same thing. Reading the Stoics in stressful situations, where there is a lot that is outside of your own control, is so therapeutic. Even in a place like a prison, where so much is determined by others, it is possible to be in control of your own mind and desires. In fact, I hear the military has recommended Stoic philosophy to soldiers coming back from war, as a way to cope with the stresses of their battle experiences.

OP -- here's M.A.'s Meditations, which is one of the more accessible volumes of the Stoics: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0140449337

No habit is 'too ingrained' to change, it just takes work.

I really reccommend you read this book it changed my life.

I'm not where I want to be yet but this book set me on the right path. It's accessible, even if you have a poor attention span & don't normally read.

Check out Meditations, it helped me out a lot.

please please order Meditations - Marcus Aurelius off of Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Penguin-Classics-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0140449337/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=V7JBEBM6SHBZZX0MKF9K)

If you send me an address I'll ship one to you with my Prime account.

As a non-religious person that went through existential depression, this book helped me understand that I wasn't unique in my mental prison and that there was a meaningful way to live life one moment at a time.

Self-validation. Self-knowledge. Self-love. Key principles that will last you a lifetime.

Yes. I've read about 7 of the most popular translations. In my opinion there are two translations that stick out far from the rest. Hays, and [Hammond] (https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Penguin-Classics-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0140449337).

You might want to look into Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy on how to live the good life that was popular in the West before being overtaken by Christianity. The basic idea is that things in themselves are not good or bad, but only appear so because of the way we perceive them. But we can control how we perceive things and thereby make a better life for ourselves.

For a classic book, check out The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. It's a collection of writings he wrote for himself, to remind himself of the principles of good living. For instance,

> When you fret at any circumstance, you have forgotten a number of things. You have forgotten that all comes about in accordance with the nature of the Whole; that any wrong done lies with the other; further, that everything which happens was always so in the past, will be the same again in the future, and is happening now across the world; that a human being has close kinship with the whole human race-- not a bond of blood or seed, but a community of mind. And you have forgotten this too, that every man's mind is a god and has flowed from that source; that nothing is our own property, but even our child, our body, our very soul have come from that source; that all is as thinking makes it so; that each of us lives only the present moment, and the present moment is all we lose.

You are always going to feel the way you are currently feeling no matter what your job is. Even if you have a passion and turn it into a job, it's eventually going to turn into a grind. I vote you enjoy your healthy income with the limited hours it requires of you and focus on doing something more productive in your spare time. Maybe join a social group, volunteer with your local theatre, coach a youth sports league, help out at the local animal shelter. The world doesn't need more people sitting behind a desk. The world needs more people like you with time on their hands to help make the world a better place.


I vote you cherish what you have. Your curiousity about the other side just means you're feeling restless. Solve the restlessness and maybe you will forget about it.


Also, maybe try reading Meditations: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140449337/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm quite new to Stoicism myself and, like you, am trying to figure these things out. My advice would be to invest in some good books. Something you can take your time with, study, highlight, write in, keep under your pillow at night. Here's a short list of the ones I've found to be most helpful:

[All things Epictetus](http://www.amazon.com/The-Discourses-Epictetus-Fragments-Everymans/dp/0460873121/ref=sr_1_10?
ie=UTF8&qid=1382479293&sr=8-10&keywords=Epictetus)

And to help you understand Epictetus: Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life by A.A. Long

A very helpful translation and commentary on Epictetus' Handbook by Keith Seddon

Marcus Aurelius' Meditations

Along with this indispensable study of the Meditations by Pierre Hadot

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Here are some links to those you mentioned and some additional.

• Marcus Aurelius - Meditations
  
• Seneca - Letters from a Stoic
  
• Epictetus - Discourses and Selected Writings
  
• Epicurus - Essential Epicurus
  
• Pierre Hadot - Philosophy as a Way of Life
  
• William B. Irvine - A Guide to the Good Life
  
• Musonius Rufus - Lectures and Sayings

Ah I see. Not the exact quote, but the idea was preceded by 1400 years in The Meditations.

In these situations, I like to recommend people go to a library or bookstore, pull 3-4 translations from the shelf, pick a random place, and read each translation back-to-back.

I've done this with many books, and have never found the process to be ineffective.

Martin Hammond's Penguin Classics translation (http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Penguin-Classics-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0140449337) is, for lack of a better phrasing, the most useful English translation I've found of "Meditations."