Day 4 · Q1: Self-Knowledge · January 4, 2026
Pause. Breathe. Begin.
I . L E C T I O
Marcus Aurelius
Meditations, Book IV, §3
“Retire into yourself. The rational principle which rules has this nature: it is content with itself when it does what is just, and so secures tranquility.”
C O N T E X T
Marcus wrote this while commanding Roman legions on the Danube frontier, surrounded by war, plague, and betrayal. The retirement he speaks of is not physical but mental — an inner citadel where reason governs.
I I . M E D I T A T I O
“Where is your inner citadel — and when did you last visit it?”
I I I . S C R I P T I O
Write one sentence about what tranquility means to you, right now, today.
I V . C O N N E X I O
Marcus Aurelius and Montaigne, separated by fifteen centuries, both speak of an inner retreat. How do their visions differ?
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