Undoubtedly the most noteworthy stoic in human history, Marcus Aurelius, is considered by many to be the last great leader of the roman empire. As you can imagine, being the most powerful man on the planet, and running the mightiest empire in the known world, is at the very least, demanding. Some might even say, unmanageable. Luckily for the roman people, Marcus was a learned man, who studied from an early age the philosophy of stoicism. One of the many great lessons of stoicism, is to reflect on one’s own life by journaling. Marcus Aurelius’s journal was more of a handbook, a handbook to himself, to help him rule and live life virtuously. This book is known as “Meditations”, over the last 2000 years of the books existence, countless leaders in business have heeded its words and have benefited massively because of it. I mean if it’s good enough for the emperor of Rome, I can probably stand to learn a thing or two from it, and perhaps you could too. So today, we’ll discuss 6 Rules of Business from the writings of Marcus Aurelius.
1. Pay No Mind to What Others Do
“Do not waste what remains of your life in speculating about your neighbors, anything that distracts you from fidelity to the ruler within you—means a loss of opportunity for some other task.”
I don’t believe Marcus Aurelius is saying that you shouldn’t be paying attention to what potential customers want, or what your competition is up to. But rather, he’s referring to an ancient inclination of human beings, that is, the constant need to compare ourselves to one another, regardless of relevancy. In the new world of social media this is even more of a problem. We only see what people want us to see. It’s almost always the best bits of the other person’s life that is shown to the world. Even knowing this, we often still fall prey to the natural human desire to compare. Which typically leads to feelings of inadequacy. These feelings aren’t conducive to productivity, and should be avoided. However, if you do end up comparing yourself to another, and a sense of envy or jealousy sets in, try to use that feeling as motivation to better yourself. Use it as a positive incentive in your life.
2. Pay No Mind to What Others Say
“When another blames you or hates you, or people voice similar criticisms, go to their souls, penetrate inside and see what sort of people they are. You will realize that there is no need to be racked with anxiety that they should hold any particular opinion about you.”
Constructive criticism is one thing, In fact I believe constructive criticism is much more important than praise; If someone messages me and tells me what a great job I’m doing, sure, I’m grateful for the compliment and support, but that doesn’t help me to get to the next level. I believe Marcus was referring to the people in life who are simply unhappy, and look for something to hate. In the age of social media, we call these creatures “YouTube Commenters”. These vile beast say mean and nasty things just for the sake of inciting anger in others. You shouldn’t allow these hot pocket consuming, mom’s basement dwelling trolls get to you. They’re simply miserable and want company. Pay them no mind, and keep doing what you’re doing.
3. Consistency
“You must build up your life action by action, and be content if each one achieves its goal as far as possible–and no one can keep you from this. But there will be some external obstacle! Perhaps, but no obstacle to acting with justice, self-control, and wisdom. But what if some other area of my action is thwarted? Well, gladly accept the obstacle for what it is and shift your attention to what is given, and another action will immediately take its place, one that better fits the life you are building.”
In order to master anything, you must show up and do the work everyday. Most people aren’t willing to endure the boredom involved in becoming an expert. For example, one of the most important aspects of getting better at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is drilling, yet most practitioners get bored of drilling after only a few minutes. Where a master might drill one technique for hours. Most, simply lack the discipline required to show up everyday and do the not so fun work, they allow obstacles to get in their way, they enjoy their distractions too much. You should avoid this behavior at all cost. Force yourself to do the thing, until it’s a matter of habit. You will build a hardened mindset and it will get easier with time.
4. Meritocracy
“Of him that brought me up, not to be fondly addicted to either of the two factions of the coursers in the circus, nor any of the gladiators or fencers.”
In business, it can often be alluring to have favorite employees. These employees may be your favorite due to their personality and charm. Or perhaps you have shared interests. Whatever your reasoning, you should avoid treating them any different from the others. Instead, you ought to base your system upon “merit”, whoever is the most productive should get the accolades. Whoever provides the most value should be rewarded and treated accordingly. Meritocracy is what I believe Marcus was alluding to.