Meditations

This was a gift from my father, more than ten years ago. Some bits of it really resonate for me, while others leave me cold. The stoic philosophy recommends a sort of emotional uninvolvement, a resignation that I can't really accept. At the same time, there is something intensely comforting about Aurelius' unwavering faith in a reasonable, well-ordered universe, presided over by gods who are ultimately just. So on a big-picture level, I can't really relate to his philosophy – yet, the book is full of these little bite-sized admonitions, some of which can be relevant regardless of your personal philosophy. It did make me think about things in a slightly different way. So three stars, and I'm keeping it not just because it was a gift, but to read again in the future, when I'm sure I will interpret it very differently.