In death, Alexander of Macedon's end differed no whit from his stable-boy's. Either both were received into the same generative principle of the universe, or both alike were dispersed into atoms.
Marcus AureliusIt never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinions than our own.
Marcus AureliusTo understand the true quality of people, you must look into their minds, and examine their pursuits and aversions.
Marcus AureliusOr is it your reputation that's bothering you? But look at how soon we're all forgotten. The abyss of endless time that swallows it all. The emptiness of those applauding hands. The people who praise us; how capricious they are, how arbitrary. And the tiny region it takes place. The whole earth a point in space - and most of it uninhabited.
Marcus Aurelius