The charm of these reflections lies in the honesty of the author: it is rare to encounter a book with such inner clarity, so unpretentious, so true.

Marcus Aurelius chooses to engage in a dialogue with himself to delve into the depths of his soul and clarify his character, his emotional states and their causes, his relationships with the world and fellow humans, his ideals - to elucidate the meaning of his life and thereby guide his soul to that vast tranquility which nothing in the world could disturb.