MARCUS AURELIUS. MEDITATIONS. Book xi. 19.
Sunday
February 26
HE that hath not one and the selfsame general end always as long as he liveth,
cannot possibly be one and the selfsame man
always. But this will not suffice except thou
add also what ought to be this general end.
For as the general conceit and apprehension of
all those things which upon no certain ground
are by the greater part of men deemed good,
cannot be uniform and agreeable, but that only
which is limited, and restrained by some certain
proprieties and conditions, as of community: that
nothing be conceived good, which is not commonly,
and publicly good : so must the end also
that we propose unto ourselves, be common
and sociable. For he that doth direct all his
own private motions and purposes to that end,
all his actions will be agreeable and uniform;
and by that means will be still the same man.
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Our goal in life should not only benefit ourselves but our community. If we set goals that only benefit our selfish ends and are a detriment to the community we are acting out of negative means and will achieve negative ends.
ReplyDeleteWe must set goals with a truly philanthropic intent.