Commentary on Meditations: B1.8

8. From Apollonius: moral freedom, the certainty to ignore the dice of fortune, and have no other perspective, even for a moment, than that of reason alone; to be always the same man, unchanged in sudden pain, in the loss of a child, in lingering sickness; to see clearly in his living example that a man can combine intensity and relaxation; not to be impatient in explanation; the observance of a man who clearly regarded as the least of his gifts his experience and skill in communicating his philosophical insights; the lesson of how to take apparent favours from one's friends, neither compromised by them nor insensitive in their rejection.

When you achieve moral freedom through your reason alone, you will have found a marvelous gift. You do not have to let your fears and worries dwell on chance.  You can use your god-given faculty, volition and reason to free your mind.

Related to moral freedom is equanimity. I yearn to be the same in temperament all the time.  People of passion, who are swayed by the slightest moral breeze are fascinating to observe but can be tiresome and unpredictable.  How unreliable these people can be. They are like dealing with a car that constantly breaks.

Marcus observed in Apollonius the ability to have both intensity and relaxation. He was both focused and intense, yet at ease in virtually any situation. When I read this description, I think of the Spock, from Star Trek. He always seemed to be focused yet relaxed in his demeanor.

Have you ever had to deal with someone who took several minutes to explain something? We are often distracted when something is not summarized or boiled down into a few words. We seem to have lost patience in modern times, and we cannot focus anymore. The ability to focus seems to be a quality that is beginning to be lost.  Can you sit and stay focused for hours at a time?  What about a single hour?  If not, then work on becoming better!

Another way to learn and apply philosophy in your life is to communicate and to teach it well. If you can take a difficult concept and teach it to someone, then you demonstrate the ability to truly learn.

When you receive favors, learn to neither be overly swayed nor to be a jerk in receiving them. Accept them with simplicity and grace.