Ed. note: This is the ninth entry in a series looking at the three schools of philosophy for perspectives on relationships in our modern world. Inspired by Emerson’s “The American Scholar,” we are exploring timeless wisdom which endures to inform our approaches to learning, relationships and leadership. Click here for all the posts in this series.
Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations were written in the second century AD. Though he was a philosopher-ruler, his writing was not intended for teaching. Rather, this collection of writings was his personal account- a journal – of his thoughts, fears, struggles and accumulated wisdom.
Aurelius’ Meditations are a foundational text in Stoicism, and have served as inspiration for countless numbers of leaders, writers, philosophers, among others. These writings cover every aspect of human life from not being afraid of death, to dealing graciously with annoying people. Because they are so far reaching, and practical, today we are focusing on just one of my favorite pieces of wisdom from this ruler; how to motivate yourself to get out of bed in the morning. What could be more practical than that?
Given that Aurelius ruled over two thousand years ago, long before the rise of over-sharing daily routines, the fact that he even wrote about such a mundane topic is fascinating and, in my opinion, endearing. Here is one of the most powerful rulers on the planet, writing out his own inner dialogue of the struggle to leave a warm bed. I find it even more moving because it comes from such a strong and intelligent ruler. It illustrates that we are all human and face the same issues, they just differ in scale.
In this brief passage at the beginning of Book Five, Aurelius highlights the importance of self-discipline and references the Greek notion of moderation, or not being overtaken by passions or desires.
“In the morning when you awaken unwillingly, let this thought be present, ‘I am rising to the work of a human being. Why then am I dissatisfied if I am going to do the things for which I exist and for which I was brought into the world?’”
When you are having difficulty convincing yourself to get up, remind yourself that you are going about the responsibility of being human.
In Aurelius’ view, “the work of a human” is working for the good of mankind and contributing to society. Here is the the principle of self-discipline appearing; reminding oneself that each of us has responsibilities to attend to. It is not only the sense of responsibility, but the nature of those responsibilities which make us uniquely human, as we will see.
“Or am I made for this, to lie in the bedclothes and keep myself warm? But this is more pleasant. Do you exist then only for pleasure and not at all for action or exertion?”
The fact that he directly addresses this familiar refrain makes this passage so satisfying. You can tell he isn’t trying to appear as a sage or authority; he is documenting the conversation we all have with ourselves from time to time. Isn’t life about more than just pleasantly existing? Don’t you have more of a purpose than to lie there in warm blankets? You are a human, and as such, capable of greatness, service, and kindness! Get up, and take action toward those things for which you were made!
“Do you not see the little plants, the little birds, the ants, the spiders, the bees working together to put in order their several parts of the universe? And are you unwilling to do the work of a human being, and do you not make haste to do that which, is according to your nature?”
Every other living thing tends to its duties, from plants to bees to spiders. The astounding beauty and persistent work ethic of animals is fascinating and inspiring. If such a little insect can work so diligently, without the reasoning or capabilities of a human mind, why do we have such difficulties doing little things, like getting out of a cozy bed?
“But it is necessary to take rest also.”
It seems, even back in Aurelius’ day, whenever anyone mentions working hard towards an objective, someone has to respond with an assertion about rest. While it is true that everyone needs time to recover, this comes after you do the work! Contributing to society and serving others is, as Aurelius insists, the very nature of being human.
“It is necessary. However, Nature has fixed bounds to this too: she has fixed bounds to eating and drinking, and yet you go beyond these bounds, beyond what is sufficient; yet in your acts you do not, but stop short of what you should do. So you don’t love yourself, for if you did, you would love your nature and her will.”
Again, Aurelius asks us to look at things a little differently. He references the ancient Greek notions of moderation and temperance, and points out how quickly we go overboard with food and drink. Yet, when it comes to our actions and capabilities of serving or contributing, we come up short. We, generally, don’t love to test the limits of how much action we can take for the sake of others. We don’t try to do the most that we can in a given situation. For Aurelius, this failure is a sign that we don’t truly love ourselves enough; if we did, we would realize that by serving others, we are helping ourselves.
Throughout the Meditations, Aurelius writes that our purpose as humans is to live a life in service to others. In another meditation, he references our ability to live with very little. We don’t need huge amounts of rich foods, or opulent surroundings and furnishings. Really, our need is more about keeping our ego in check and exercising self-discipline; more about expanding our ability to say no and to remind ourselves continuously that we don’t need very much to be happy and healthy.
When we inevitably have a bit of trouble getting out of bed in the morning, we should remind ourselves that we are human and therefore, capable and responsible to act in service to others and society; that we were made for more than to just lie somewhere comfortably, and that exercising service and self-discipline is a form of loving ourselves.
