Good and evil Quote by Marcus Aurelius
““Say to yourself first thing in the morning: today I shall meet people who are meddling, ungrateful, aggressive, treacherous, malicious, unsocial. All this has afflicted them through their ignorance of true good and evil. But I have that the nature of good is what is right, and the nature of evil what is wrong; and I reflected that the nature of the offender himself is akin to my own -- not a kinship of blood or seed, but a sharing in the same mind, the same fragment of divinity. Therefore I cannot be harmed by any of them, as none will infect me with their wrong. Nor can I be angry with my kinsman or hate him. We were born for cooperation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of upper and lower teeth. So to work in opposition to one another is against nature: and anger or rejection is opposition.””
About This Quote
Source Meditations: Book 2, 2nd century AD
Recognize that others’ negative actions stem from ignorance; maintain inner virtue and avoid being harmed by their flaws.
In simple terms: People act badly out of ignorance; stay virtuous.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate inner resilience.
Themes
philosophy
ethics
resilience
Mood
reflective
calm
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- workplace conflict
- family disagreements
- political debate
- social media interactions
Key Concepts
stoicism
human nature
Questions to Reflect On
- Can we truly remain unhurt by others?
- How does shared divinity affect judgment?
A Different Perspective
May underestimate systemic causes of harmful behavior.
![“The fall [of your soul] from perfection into duality...was naturally followed by the discovery of the duality of good and evil...This is the Biblical version of a myth known to many lands.” quote by Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9ff/joseph-campbell-300_biblical_the-fall-of-your-soul-from-perfection-in_22526.jpg)
