What Thoughts Now Occupy My Mind— My Stoic Musings 014

“Understand at last that you have something in you more powerful and divine than what causes the bodily passions and pulls you like a mere puppet. What thoughts now occupy my mind? Is it not fear, suspicion, desire, or something like that?” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 12.19

Pulling our attention toward this quote, Ryan Holiday wants to remind us about the internal and external things that tug at our thoughts and our feelings constantly. Externally, we are influenced by all the companies that are trying to influence us to buy their products and services. Internally, we are influenced by our fears, suspicions, and desires. If we are not careful, these internal and external influences will turn us into mere puppets and we will lose control over our own thoughts, and hence, we will lose control over our choices and our lives.

This article is a part of my Stoic Musings challenge, inspired by the book “The Daily Stoic” by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman, where I take a quote from the book and reflect on it, every day.