The three Stoic rules of life or disciplines in Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations are the key to unlocking the book. Without them, the Meditations seems like nothing more than a jumbled mess of aphorisms. With it, the book’s purpose and intent become more apparent and its meaning and purpose easier to decipher.
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Recently, Ryan Holiday, author of The Daily Stoic, Ego is the Enemy, and The Obstacle is the Way, appeared to me in a dream and told me, “Hidden in the Meditations are three things Marcus Aurelius learned.” The next day, I picked up The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot right where I had left off the day before and found the three Stoic rules of life or disciplines at the heart of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations.