Quote of the day by Marcus Aurelius: 'It is not death that should be feared, but we should fear never beginning to live' - Lesson on importance of being fearless in life by the ancient Stoic philosopher

People generally spend years worrying about what could go wrong, waiting for the right opportunity, or delaying things they want to do just because of uncertainty. At the same time, fear of failure, change and even death can hold them back from making the most of the time they have. More than 1,800 years ago, Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius reflected on this very idea.

"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live," he wrote. The quote of the day challenges people to think again about what they really should be scared of. Aurelius suggests that the worst tragedy is not death but the failure to live life to its fullest.

What does Marcus Aurelius' quote mean?

This quote comes from Meditations, a series of private reflections by Marcus Aurelius, in Book XII, Section 1. The work was not originally intended for publication. It contained the emperor's private thoughts on philosophy, human behaviour, mortality and his responsibilities.


Basically, the quote makes people aware that life is limited, and that worrying all the time about what might happen can prevent people from living life to the fullest. It does not encourage one to take any unnecessary risk or chase any type of desire. Instead, it makes people consider what they can do with the time they have.

This idea is found in other reflections in Meditations. Aurelius felt that people should concentrate on living with justice, purpose and awareness rather than unnecessarily complicate their search for fulfillment.

Who was Marcus Aurelius?

Born in Rome on April 26, 121 CE, Marcus Aurelius was Roman emperor from 161 until his death in 180 CE. He is best remembered as one of the most famous Stoic philosophers and the last of Rome’s Five Good Emperors.

He hadn’t had an easy life. His reign was marked by wars with the Parthians and Germanic tribes, a devastating plague, political unrest and personal losses. Despite all of this, philosophy still remained an important part of his life.

Aurelius and his philosophy were both particularly influenced by the Stoic philosopher Epictetus. This all shaped his thinking about emotions and duty and the challenges of being an emperor.

His philosophy was not that people should not pay attention to emotions or pretend that there are no difficulties. It instead stressed on the importance of awareness of one’s reactions and not letting them drive every decision.