Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Analysis

It is important to enjoy life and make the best of it. Do not keep worrying about people who do not care about you, life's too short to worry about the small things. Instead, focus on yourself, even though there are so many obstacles in life, make the best of it. Marcus Aurelius  Meditations addresses how people need to focus on the joys in life and that people do not live forever. Make the best out of your life while you can, we do not live forever. Marcus uses persuasive techniques such as motivational tone, repetition and metaphorical and emotional tactics to engage his audience and give them a clear understanding of the meaningful importance of appreciating your life.

Marcus Aurelius uses real-life examples in book 3 as a way of motivating his audience to live a good life, and not let the small actions bother you. People do not have hundreds of years to live. For example Aurlieus writes ”No, you don’t have thousands of years to live. Urgency is on you. While you live, while you can, become good.”(Aurelius 26). Marcus is encouraging people to live their best lives now while they can because people do not live forever. Marcus Aurelius uses pathos to show meaningful emotions to show us why people should look at the good in life rather than paying attention to all the bad situations that are happening whether that bad situation has to deal with a loved one, a friendship, or something dreadful that happened that day. Another example is “Do not waste the remaining part of your life in thought about other people when you are not thinking with refuse to some other aspects of the common good”.(Aurelius 17) With all the bad in life such as a breakup, people cannot keep thinking about something that has already passed. The more people think the more they are going to think about someone who does not care about them anymore which can cause health factors later on.

In the Content of Book 4, Marcus uses credibility to show his audience that not only Marcus thinks that people do not need to do unnecessary deeds for themselves to be happy, just let the happiness come to you, no need to stress yourself out. “If you want to be happy,'' says Democritus, “do little” May it not be better to do what is necessary..”Most of what we say or do is unnecessary remove the superfluity, and you will have more time and less bother” ( Aurelius 28). The way Marcus quoted another person tells his audience that what he is saying is important. People say and do unnecessary things for themselves all the time, some people don't even realize what they are saying or doing is not needed. Thinking about what you are about to say or do, and determining what is going to come out of your mouth or what actions you are going to make are necessary or not, will allow people to not be as bothered by themselves as they would be if they were to just push themselves into thinking “I have to do a lot for myself in order to make me happy.” Marcus also uses repetition in his book 4 to show what he is trying to say has a meaning behind it, and gives his audiences all these scenarios to think about, to why what he is repeating has a meaning behind it.

Marcus repeats the phrase “if so” to put his audience into a perspective, that if what he is saying is not true, then what can be. By saying “if so” it lets Marcus Aurelius readers know that he is making a comparison between the common mind and reasoning. The author states, “If so then common too is the reason which dictates what we should or should not do”. “If so, then law to is common to us all.” “If so then we are citizens.” “If so, we share in a constitution.” If so, the universe is kind of community” (Aurelius 24) . The “if so” statement is mentioned a lot, to show the similarities on how if the mind is common to all of us then people would be thinking the same.

Throughout Marcus Aurelius' book, he used three types of rhetorical strategies: credibility, motivational emotions, and repetition. With all these strategies Marcus gave a lot of real-life examples, which people who still read his book today can relate to and even make a change to their life. Marcus wants people to live life to the fullest, do not try to do too much for yourself just to make yourself happy. Do not pay too much attention to the people who would not do the same in return.