“Take a good hard look at people's ruling principle, especially of the wise, what they run away from and what they seek out.”
- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.38
January 28, 2021 7:00 AM
Side note. Marcus Aurelius doesn't tell us to look towards the wealthiest, the famous, or the gifted. He calls out the wise.
"Without a ruler to do it against, you can't make crooked straight."
- Seneca
The wise people in our lives can inspire us. We need to take this relationship one step further and engage with our wise friends and family. We should be testing our opinions and assumptions.
Conclusion
Identify that wise person. It maybe someone that is family. An author. Someone who lived long ago. A pastor. A teacher. Examine what they do and as Marcus Aurelius says "what they run away from", and then mirror those behaviors.