epithets for yourself
In book ten of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius introduces the idea of having epithets for yourself. These are his watchwords, his guiding principles. And it makes sense, Meditations was the emperor’s personal journal, and he was outlining how he wanted to define his character.
“Upright. Modest. Straightforward. Sane. Cooperative. Disinterested. Try not to exchange them for others. And if you should forfeit them, set about getting them back.”
He goes on to break them down further, explaining that “sanity” means understanding things for what they are, “cooperation” means accepting what nature assigns you, and “disinterest” is rising above the waves of emotion that come with life’s challenges and triumphs. He finishes by saying the epithets should guide him as he navigates life. He reiterates that if he feels as though he has lost his way, he must use them as a way to get back to doing what he was put on earth to do.
I’ve read similar concepts in personal development books, but at 2000 years old, I’ll consider Aurelius the OG. I like the idea and want to revisit mine, upgrading from the three words I started with a few years ago. Where Meditations differs from the other things I’ve read is that the words seem quite black and white in the way they define character. It’s less about about something unique and aspirational and more about virtue.