this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2024
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He wrote this for himself in his Meditations. So he wasn't telling this to anyone but himself, therefore not 'gaslighting' anyone. Beyond being a roman emperor, he is also a pretty respected philosopher, and that generally doesn't happen without having something interesting to say on the subject.
I kind of understand the objection, though. It's a short step from "it isn't manly to be enraged" to "just pull yourself up from your bootstraps." I don't think that's what Marcus Aurelius was saying, but I can see how someone might read it that way.