January 31, 2020

Marcus Aurelius on Death

“ The speed with which all of them vanish — the objects in the world, and the memory of them in time. And the real nature of the things our senses experience, especially those that entice us with pleasure or frighten us with pain or are loudly trumpeted by pride. To understand those things — how stupid, contemptible, grimy, decaying, and dead they are — that’s what our intellectual powers are for. And to understand what those people really amount to, whose opinions and voices constitute fame. And what dying is — and that if you look at it in the abstract and break down your imaginary ideas of it by logical analysis, you realize that it’s nothing but a process of nature, which only children can be afraid of. (And not only a process of nature but a necessary one.) ” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

From “Marcus Aurelius on Embracing Mortality and the Key to Living with Presence” by Maria Popova. She inspired me to get Meditations on my Kindle.

I’m feeling pretty shitty today. It’s rainy and cold. I have work to do, but I have no motivation to do any of it. Autumn got tickets for Lyle Lovett tonight, so maybe he’ll be good. Since I associate my favorite album of his—Joshua Judges Ruth—with David, I’m not sure how I’ll feel.

                    

Happy 97th to Norman Mailer, born on this day in 1923. I wish he were around to see the shitstorm this country is in presently. Consider joining the Norman Mailer Society to support his legacy and to join us in Long Branch in October.