Stoa›Marcus Aurelius›on death

121–180 CE · Stoicism

Marcus Aurelius on death

Marcus kept death constantly in view, not to despair but to live. Because the hour is uncertain and the supply of days finite, he refused to postpone being good, and treated each act as though it might be his last.

Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to live. While it is in your power, be good.

Marcus Aurelius — Meditations, Book 4

Try this

Let mortality raise the value of today rather than darken it.
Stop postponing the person you mean to become.

Questions

What did Marcus Aurelius say about death?

Marcus kept death constantly in view, not to despair but to live. Because the hour is uncertain and the supply of days finite, he refused to postpone being good, and treated each act as though it might be his last.

Where did Marcus Aurelius write about death?

In Meditations, Book 4.

Ask Marcus about your death

Put your own situation to Marcus Aurelius and hear the answer in their own words.