Begin to pray for such things, and you will… — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations IX.40

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations IX.40

Begin to pray for such things, and you will see. One man prays: how shall I be able to lie with that woman? Pray rather: how shall I cease to desire her?

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Meditations IX.40)

What this means

Most prayers ask for the object of a craving; Marcus suggests praying to be rid of the craving instead. The shift moves your hope from what you cannot control, another person, to what you can, your own desire. It is the Stoic move in miniature: change the wish, not the world.

On desire, control.

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Meditations

Marcus Aurelius · trans. Gregory Hays · Modern Library

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