How the most powerful man on Earth, remained even-keeled amidst pain, betrayals, and criticisms: Lessons of Emotional Resilience from Marcus Aurelius.
In 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius lies in his bed awaiting his mortality. Throughout his life, he’s kept his emotional and psychological state under control even after betrayals, conspiracies, and rebellions; all while enduring pain from his own illness, and the deaths of his children. Whereas most of the other emperors have reputations of excess and viciousness tied to their legacies, Marcus Aurelius has been well-regarded over the centuries. He doesn’t know it, but he’ll be known as one of the Five Good Roman Emperors.
At a young age, Marcus Aurelius was chosen to become Emperor one day. He was given the best tutors and was taught in many subjects fit for a ruler. He became more interested in philosophy than rhetoric, and in Stoicism than Sophistry. This would serve him well while dealing with other rulers, Roman senators, in handling the excesses of his own brother, in war, in enduring pain, in the betrayal of his strongest general, and in his mortality.
The author and cognitive psychotherapist, Donald Robertson, re-tells Marcus Aurelius’ upbringing in this book while weaving insights from modern psychology. This tracks Ancient Stoic techniques that Marcus Aurelius would have used back then, and Modern Cognitive Psychotherapy concepts used today.
Using various points in Marcus Aurelius’ life as reference, Donald Robertson weaves through cognitive techniques on how you can speak wisely, how you can follow your values, how you can conquer desire, how you can endure pain, how you can relinquish fear, worry and anxiety, and on how you can conquer anger.
To speak wisely: keep your words simple and concise, use objective representations.
To follow your values: examine your daily life, invite criticism, clarify your values.
To conquer desire: build healthy habits, review and compare your actions to an ideal.
To endure pain: consider the consequences of your value judgments, contemplate virtue.
To relinquish fear, worry and anxiety: practice cognitive detachment, see things with a reserve clause, practice decatastrophizing, and premeditation of adversity.
To conquer anger: practice self-monitoring, treat everyone as your brother/sister.
Why read How To Think Like A Roman Emperor?
You learn how to have greater emotional resilience, strength of character and moral integrity. You learn how to manage your emotional and psychological state. And you learn about the life of Marcus Aurelius.
How can you use this information?
As the author suggests, if you are suffering from clinical depression, it is best to seek professional help. A combination of Stoic philosophy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may be more suited for a long-term preventive approach.
See more:
Like, Follow, and Get notified in advance through social media sites:
IG – https://www.instagram.com/booknewb/
FB – https://www.facebook.com/booknewb/
TW – https://twitter.com/booknewb
Leave a comment