Reddit reviews Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library)

the 95 cent edition isn't the good translation - here is the kindle version of the Gregory Hays translations:

https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library-ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI/

The two best translations in my opinion are
Robin Hard & Gregory Hays.

So this question has been around for most of human existence, the awesome thing is people have written about their solutions about it various philosophies. I'm sure you have heard the term "stoic" or "stoicism" this is what you're asking about. Stoicism usually is associated with remaining unconcerned in the face adversity - which is essentially what you're asking for. The philosophy itself goes much deeper, than just telling you to be unconcerned, it instead asks fundamental questions about why we have concerns for things, and what should concern us.

My favorite book is "Letters from a stoic" by Seneca, it has insightful passages like so

> For Stilbo, after his country was captured and his children and his wife lost, as he emerged from the general desolation alone and yet happy, spoke as follows to Demetrius, called Sacker of Cities because of the destruction he brought upon them, in answer to the question whether he had lost anything: "I have all my goods with me!" There is a brave and stout-hearted man for you! The enemy conquered, but Stilbo conquered his conqueror. "I have lost nothing!" Aye, he forced Demetrius to wonder whether he himself had conquered after all. "My goods are all with me!" In other words, he deemed nothing that might be taken from him to be a good.

> We marvel at certain animals because they can pass through fire and suffer no bodily harm; but how much more marvellous is a man who has marched forth unhurt and unscathed through fire and sword and devastation! Do you understand now how much easier it is to conquer a whole tribe than to conquer one man? This saying of Stilbo makes common ground with Stoicism; the Stoic also can carry his goods unimpaired through cities that have been burned to ashes; for he is self-sufficient. Such are the bounds which he sets to his own happiness.

https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Stoic-Epistulae-Morales-Lucilium-ebook/dp/B005NC0MGW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1510202972&sr=1-1&keywords=letters+from+a+stoic

Another excellent book to read is, "The Meditations" By Marcus Aurelius, which is essentially a book of small meditations like so

> I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinions of himself than on the opinions of others.

and

> If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.

and

> When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can't tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own - not of the same blood and birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are unnatural.

https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library-ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1510202253&sr=1-1

So most of these works are ancient and the translation you get matters, which is why I included links, yes the grammar and language is obtuse and hard. There are more modern books on stoicism, but I prefer the original works for their character and prose.

Reading these and practicing this sort of thinking is a worthwhile and long journey, I've probably read "Letters from a stoic" 20 times by now, and I still get something new from it, and yet I realize how far I have to go. There are other similar philosophies which have similar approaches to dealing with hardship and developing a thicker skin. But this requires practice, so start reading and thinking about the concepts.

It's a difficult path to be sure. I wouldn't describe my situation as being so deleterious as yours seems but there are certainly many parallels. If you're a reader I would suggest some works that have helped me in various ways:

• Clive Staples Lewis - The Four Loves
  
• Hannah Arendt - The Human Condition
  
• Gyomay M. Kubose - Zen Koans
  
• Marcus Aurelius - The Meditations
  
  On the other hand there is this quote, attributed to Confucius, that has been sticking in my craw:
  
  "We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one."

Maybe take a look at this? I'm reading it right now and it's really focused on remaining unaffected by other people as well as eliminating all approval seeking (i.e., fucks given about whether or not people think highly of you).

The most popular by far are the ones by Gregory Hays and by Robin Hard, and which you will prefer depends on exactly what you are looking for. The English of the Hays translation is beautiful, but the translation has a reputation for being loose. (Edit 3: Even the Hard, though, is very readable.)

For more discussion, reviews, references to previous discussions, and a list of other translations, see this question in the FAQ.

Edit: The Amazon site is very sloppy about linking to different translations as if they were different formats of the same one. Be careful!

Edit 2: Added links to kindle versions, fixed edit 1 to correct that.

Edit 4: Of the many older, public domain (in the US) translations, I find Chrystal's revision of the Hutcheson and Moor translation most readable complete translation. (The abridgement by Smith is similarly readable.) All of the modern translations I have had a chance to look at were easier to read than even these, though..

This doesn't solve your immediate issue, but I recommend when you have time that you start studying philosophy. Given your upbringing, you've had a very hard time, which means your worldview has likely been badly affected.

The good thing is you can easily fix this by reading books, and it will provide major benefits for the rest of your life. It will be like going from being an orphan to being raised by the smartest people in the world.

I'd start with Marcus Aurelius, one of the best Roman Emperors, who wrote this work for surviving in extremely difficult conditions. You can find it for free online or get this version from your library.

https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library-ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI/ref=sr_1_5?crid=35SV01MLOGAQS&keywords=marcus+aurelius+meditations&qid=1562643173&s=gateway&sprefix=marcus+aureliu%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-5

Yeap. [This is considered the most accessible translation] (http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library-ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395863947&sr=1-5&keywords=meditations+hayes).

Your last sentence is what makes me think of it, and the whole Stoic philosophy.

I could've wrote the exact same thing....almost word for word except I am 30. I fall into this trap occasionally...but it is a trap.

Don't worry, don't be hard on yourself. Some advice:

• Don't try hard, be yourself (girls can smell desperation)
  
  
• smile more
  
  
• talk to everyone (get comfortable to talking to everyone: men and women)
  
  
• STOP MASTERBATING, stop looking at porn, you will feel more alive than you ever have. But stop. Learn to control yourself. Self-control is a lifelong battle for every man.
  
  
• get back into lifting weights now, 5x5 is a good place to start, also check out: r/EOOD
  
  
• slowly start buying clothes that fit you properly (it takes years to build up a good wardrobe, buy quality)
  
  
• look and think like James Bond, and people will treat you like James Bond
  
  
• read Models and No More Mr Nice Guy
  
  
• again....exercise, join a sports team, get in the habit of exercising and eating healthy, whole foods....cut out junk food now.
  
  
• stop watching TV and porn, unplug, start reading books
  
  
• read up on Marcus Aurelius and check out r/stoicism, learn how people have been feeling this way for thousands of years and what the greatest Roman emperor did to keep his mind healthy
  
  You have all of mankind's knowledge at your fingertips, use it...but use it wisely.
  
  I'll leave you with a quote from Fight Club (great book by the way):
  Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned- Tyler.

Virginia Satir is one of my favorites, I also find the Stoics helpful, but they tend to take a very different approach.

• Epictetus
  
• Marcus Aurelius
  
• Seneca

That book is such a pile of garbage. It's just poorly regurgitated highlights from Marcus' Meditations, Epictetus' Discourses, and Seneca's Letters. If anyone wants to get real stoic up in this bitch, here is a suggested reading list:

Letters

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140442103/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dailystoic07-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0140442103&linkId=356514abc26783cd79c3131d8887a237

Discourses:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140449469/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dailystoic07-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0140449469&linkId=cd19199bbf6d44bbbb5f053a7c4be1c3

Meditations:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FC1JAI/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dailystoic07-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000FC1JAI&linkId=c1e35fe3d0d0ba62fe71ddc9c42ada4f

Meditations is awesome. It's the ultimate Yolo book. For those interested I'd recommend this translation.

He says a lot of things like 'life is short then you'll die', and other good stuff that make you feel guilty when you're not spending every waking minute working on your life goal.

I'm going to read the one from Murphy's POV after I finished Changes, as it happens after it.

Have you read Even Hand? It's from Marcone's POV and imo, it's even better than Backup.

>Could you tell me where you got it, is it available for free? I downloaded a translation from Gutenberg.org, but it was pretty archaic and incomprehensible.

There's this, but it is not free. I pirated the book though as I can't buy anything from where I live. :P

Your friend is not wrong, but he's only half right. He's also framing how one deals with the negative aspects of life poorly. One should do their best to minimize the bad in life, or at least its effects. And, when possible, turn allegedly negative things to one's advantage. One should also do their best to maximize the positive aspects. A lot of it has to do with your perspective and what you focus on.

Everyone has to support themselves somehow. If the only available work is something unpleasant or undesirable, focus on what it affords you and put effort toward getting into a line of work you appreciate more. You can't prevent yourself from ever getting sick, but you can do everything in your power to stay healthy. Healthy eating, an active lifestyle, and getting regular medical checkups all have their benefits. If someone assaults you and you are permanently injured, you're going to have to cope with that, yes. But I'm sure any school worth attending will make accommodations for a student who was assaulted presuming they were made aware of the circumstances.

So, yes, you will have to learn how to cope with the bad things. But you also need to learn how to maximize the positive. Work towards a career you enjoy. Build friendships. Chase your dreams. All that. People tend to write off encouragement and positive thinking, and focus on the negative. But life is what you focus on.

If you struggle with this, I have a few recommended reads for you.

• Victor Frankl's "Man's Search For Meaning". He was a holocaust survivor, and he writes about how even if you take everything else away from a person, they still have the freedom to choose how they react to their circumstances. If prisoners in a concentration camp can find ways to be generous and kind to one another and bring joy and love to each other, so can you.
  
  
• Dr. David M. Burns' "Feeling Good". One of the first books written on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), it's written in such a way that the reader can apply these therapeutic techniques to their own life. The premise is that our thoughts direct our feelings, and by learning to recognize cognitive distortions and correct our thinking, we can make large headway in dealing with depression. CBT subreddits and posts
  
  
• Seneca "Letters from a Stoic", Epictetus "The Art of Living", Marcus Aurelius "Meditations". Three books by Stoic philosophers. Stoicism was to these ancient Greek and Roman philosophers what CBT is to modern psychologists. These three books contain some of the very best summaries of this school of philosophy. This isn't esoteric, inaccessible philosophy. This is wisdom directly applicable to the very sort of problem you and your friend are dealing with. /r/Stoicism
  
  I know this was an overly long response to your question, but I hope it helps. Learning how to cope well with life is one of the most important things a person can learn. I wish you, and your friend, well.
  
  

I guess I mean newer as in... idk? Something with newer English?

Anyways, here's the [Amazon Link] (http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library-ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid
)... besides my Bible this book has a special place- it's changed my life.. very relevant.


Also,
Here's a great youtube video on him

I think Hays translation is good. https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library-ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1500040894&sr=1-2&keywords=hays+meditations+marcus+aurelius

If you are starting, I can recommend two more books for you:

1- https://www.amazon.com/Art-Living-Classical-Happiness-Effectiveness-ebook/dp/B00AHC9PZW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

2- https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Stoic-Meditations-Wisdom-Perseverance-ebook/dp/B01HNJIJB2/ref=pd_sim_351_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BXBTHXJMFXCSM4BJYT7X

Read Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, the Hay's translation.

http://amzn.com/B000FC1JAI

I haven't read any German philosophers, but I'd highly recommend ol' Marcus' Meditations (this is the best translation btw).

Why didn't the Thought Catalog editor link directly to your preferred translation? Weird.

Here it is: http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Translation-Modern-Library-ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI/

The ancient world faced the question of meaning and purpose as much as us. In Marcus Aurelius' writings, I found the perseverance, nobility, and applicable philosophy that I craved after leaving the comfort of Mormonism.

For those who have suicidal thoughts, my primary advice would be to seek out a professional who can assist in working through this very serious time. You can work through it, and you owe it to your future self to persevere.

But as a supplement and a guiding life philosophy, I think Stoicism is a tremendously powerful tool. Perhaps it's not the only tool, but it certainly is one which can form a sturdy basis for weathering the existential stress and anxiety that is common to us all. We must deal with meaninglessness where we once had it clearly spelled out for us. Working through the transitory period of nihilism to something more stable and healthy is possible even within a non-theistic framework. Nature does not require our misery, so why should we be miserable in our existence?

I loved the maxims that are to be found in "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius and the other Stoic philosophers. Stoicism is a close kin to modern Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is used by therapists today, and the richness of the philosophical tradition lends a kind of poetic frame for a full life without self delusion. The stoic concepts are simple, seemingly obvious and easy to become familiar with, but the challenge is in applying them to your life.

If you're truly destitute of meaning and hope, try Stoicism. It helped Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale through his time as a POW in Hanoi, Vietnam for 7 1/2 years - where he was tortured 15 times, placed in solitary confinement for over 4 years, and in leg irons for 2 years. If anyone had a reason for hopelessness, it was him. He later wrote about his experience in "The Stoic Warrior's Triad" and "Master of my Fate", along with "Courage Under Fire: Testing Epictetus' Doctrines in a Labratory of Human Behavior". Imagine facing a seemingly interminable future of misery, but even in this darkness finding something so powerful that you survived and even thrived. That's the power of Stoicism.

In addition to getting a real therapist to work with, and not as a substitute mind you, read "Man's Search for Meaning" and go through the following links, starting at the top and working your way down. By the time you're done, I think you'll have a ready tool to use as you continue on with life outside Mormonism.

The Obstacle is The Way, by Ryan Holiday (a good entry text - don’t skip the reading recommendations at the back)
Letters from a Stoic, by Seneca
Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hays translation)
The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch (video)
“On the Shortness of Life" Four Hour Blog, Translated by John W. Basore, highlighted by Tim Ferriss
A long podcast conversation with Ryan and Tim Ferriss discussing Stoicism
Achieving Apatheia (slideshare), Ryan Holiday
A lecture series, Marcus Aurelius
The Stoic Life (website about stoicism)
Man in the Arena - Teddy Roosevelt

https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library-ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI -- buy this book.

My recommendation is this one. This book places the historical and philosophical work in context, which is much needed as this book was Written in the Classical Era.

I have no idea who the narrator is as I've only read the book. I will say this, the book is pretty dam concise and requires a lot of focus even when reading, I can only imagine an audiobook will be harder to grasp since you'll probably be multi-tasking while reading the book. I would recommend a kindle edition or paperback.

Hays in my opinion.

http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library-ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI