The Enduring Wisdom of Marcus Aurelius: “Our life is what our thoughts make it”
The Origin of Marcus Aurelius’ Wisdom
Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor who ruled from 161 to 180 CE, stands as one of history’s most compelling figures. His profound internal contradictions define him. Born into incomparable privilege and power, he spent his reign wrestling with doubt, anxiety, and the weight of his responsibilities. Unlike most political leaders throughout history, Marcus Aurelius documented his inner struggle in personal writings never intended for public consumption. Later, others compiled these reflections as “Meditations.” They reveal a man who sought not validation or glory but rather a path to virtue and inner peace.
The quote “Our life is what our thoughts make it” encapsulates the central philosophy that animated his reign. It continues to inspire millions more than eighteen centuries after his death. Understanding this statement requires us to step into Marcus Aurelius’s world. It was a world of constant warfare, plague, administrative chaos, and personal grief. Yet one man chose to master his mind rather than his circumstances.
The context in which Marcus Aurelius developed this philosophy is essential to understanding its authenticity. He inherited the throne during a period of crisis. Military threats pressed against multiple frontiers, particularly from Germanic tribes at the Rhine and Danube borders. The Antonine Plague swept through the Roman Empire simultaneously. It killed millions and created unprecedented social disruption. As emperor, Marcus Aurelius spent much of his reign in military camps away from Rome. He conducted arduous campaigns against barbarian invaders while his empire suffered from within.
Even more personally devastating, he endured the loss of numerous children. This was a common tragedy of the era but no less agonizing for a father. Unlike an emperor who might seek refuge in excess or distraction, Marcus Aurelius turned inward. He used his solitude in military camps to examine his thoughts, emotions, and the nature of virtue itself. He wrote the Meditations during these campaigns. He wrote not in peaceful contemplation but amid genuine suffering and uncertainty. This gives the philosophy contained within them remarkable credibility.
Our life is what our thoughts make it
Marcus Aurelius was born in 121 CE into a wealthy, aristocratic family with deep political connections. His biological father held the position of praetor. He was part of Rome’s ruling elite. However, his father died when Marcus was quite young. His grandfather, also named Marcus Aurelius, raised him primarily. The young Marcus received an exceptional education. He studied rhetoric, philosophy, and Greek along with Latin. This was unusual for a young Roman nobleman, as many still viewed Greek as a foreign language. This occurred despite centuries of Roman-Greek cultural exchange.
Several Stoic philosophers provided his formal philosophical training, particularly Rusticus. Rusticus’s influence shaped Marcus Aurelius’s worldview profoundly. Many people don’t realize that Marcus Aurelius was not always destined for the throne. The previous emperor, Antoninus Pius, had no surviving sons. Marcus Aurelius was essentially selected as the most worthy successor. This choice suited neither his temperament nor his desires. Throughout his life, Marcus Aurelius repeatedly expressed reluctance about his imperial role. This humility paradoxically made him more suited to the position than someone who craved it.
The philosophy underlying “Our life is what our thoughts make it” derives from the Stoic tradition. The Stoics held that virtue and inner peace come not from controlling external circumstances. Rather, they come from controlling one’s judgments about those circumstances. The Stoics taught that while we cannot control events that happen to us, we have absolute control over our responses to them. This distinction—between what is “up to us” and what is “not up to us”—formed the cornerstone of Stoic practice. When Marcus Aurelius wrote these words, he grappled with this precise truth. His circumstances as emperor, his losses, his fears, and his physical ailments were largely beyond his control. His thoughts about them were entirely within his power.
The Stoics didn’t advocate for emotional suppression or denial. Rather, they encouraged rational examination of thoughts. They promoted deliberate cultivation of attitudes that align with virtue. In Marcus Aurelius’s case, this meant constantly reminding himself of a key truth. External things—wealth, status, reputation, even health—were ultimately indifferent to true human flourishing. What mattered was how one thought about them. It mattered how one responded to them. It mattered whether one maintained virtue in the face of adversity.
Transforming Your Reality Through Mental Power
A lesser-known aspect of Marcus Aurelius’s life is his complicated relationship with his own philosophical ideals. He preached the Stoic virtues of acceptance and non-attachment to worldly concerns. Yet he was a man of flesh and blood who struggled with these ideals daily. His journal-like reflections often read as a man reminding himself of truths he intellectually understood but emotionally struggled to internalize. This vulnerability is actually what makes his writing so powerful. It is so relevant to modern readers. He wasn’t a detached sage dispensing wisdom from an ivory tower. He was a powerful man wrestling with the same anxieties, resentments, and despairs that afflict ordinary people.
Additionally, Marcus Aurelius was married to Faustina. Roman historians have sometimes portrayed her negatively. Modern scholarship suggests she was a capable partner. She gave him many children and supported his reign. Yet even in his marriage and family life, Marcus Aurelius experienced profound disappointment and loss. So many of his children predeceased him. These personal griefs inform the poignancy of his philosophical reflections.
The quote “Our life is what our