A Constant State of Change
Marcus Aurelius, Heraclitus, and the change that binds us
Marcus Aurelius, Heraclitus, and the change that binds us
Very often in life, we fear change. Change brings about uncertainty. We resist change because it is a loss, a loss of what we know and are possibly comfortable with. It reminds us that we may never get back what we once had.
But resisting change doesn’t turn things to our favor.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus believed the whole world was built on change, built through the tension of opposites always moving against each other. Heraclitus once remarked:
“Cold things grow hot, the hot cools, the wet dries, the parched moistens”
To Heraclitus, everything was in a constant state of flux. Life was built on the constant shifting of the world; day into night, life into death, hot to cold and wet to dry. The world was held together by these constant shifts according to Heraclitus.
Heraclitus’ teachings influenced many of the Greek schools of philosophy including Stoicism. Marcus Aurelius, who studied many schools of thought as a young adult, often writes to the theme of change inspired by Heraclitus. In one entry of Meditations, Marcus writes:
“Everything’s destiny is to change, to be transformed, to perish. So that new things can be born.”
The Stoics were focused on change because:
Change is inevitable: The Stoics were focused on viewing the world for the truth it held, and thus held the belief of Heraclitus that the world was constantly in flux.
Change keeps the world in check: As with Heraclitus, the Stoics believed that change brought about life and kept the entire world in check. Change is what brought about balance.
Change is required for growth in life: The lives of everything on earth have a natural progression. With one ending, there is a new beginning. The Stoics therefore viewed change as a positive rather than a negative.
Marcus once wrote to himself:
“Constant awareness that everything is born from change. The knowledge that there is nothing nature loves more than to alter what exists and make new things like it. All that exists is the seed of what will emerge from it. You think the only seeds are the ones that make plants or children? Go deeper.”
Life is cyclical, things are born while others die, empires rise while others fall.
Handling Change
If change is so natural, why is it still so hard to accept at times? Because change brings to the forefront of our mind the unknown. In our mind, we often associate change with a lack of control as we are facing an unknown. But if change bothers you, what can we do to become more comfortable with it?
Ask Yourself Why You are Fearing Change
Introspection is a staple in all philosophies and Stoicism is no different. If one does not meditate on the things that arise within them, they cannot truly live a virtuous life. By reflecting on the change at hand, you can better understand why it is bringing about a sense of panic, fear, or sadness. By investigating these emotions, you become closer with yourself and your thought process which will help you to better face the change at hand.
Look from Above like a God
The Stoics had a spiritual exercise we refer to today as the View from Above. The exercise requires one to take a view of the situation from the heavens and asks oneself what the true impact of this moment is. Often times, we become enmeshed in the moment and allow that to control us. If we feel fear from change, we won’t want to admit to the change.
But what if we could look at this change and its impact or significance over the course of a year or even our lifetime? This is what the View from Above attempts to do. More often than not, the emotion we’re feeling over an event in the moment holds little over our lives in the long term.
Think through the Eyes of the Sage
The Sage was viewed as the wisest person and was an ideal that the Stoics strove for. The Sage was at all times calm, making the appropriate decisions in situations, and could not become internally aroused by the external world. Looking at a situation of change through the lens of the Sage helps to remind ourselves of what the appropriate action or feeling is in a given moment.
A more modern day approach to this is viewing the situation, and one’s reaction to it, through the lens of a mentor or role model. By asking ourselves what they would do in this situation, it better helps guide us on how to react.
Change at times is scary. It is a reminder that time is always marching forward, that we may not have as much control over our lives as what we once thought.
But nothing can exist without change.
We ourselves are in a constant state of change. We grow from infants to children and children to adults. We become smarter and wiser. We watch things in life rise and fall. Change is all around us and learning how to accept change is a part of growth.
Toward the end of his life, when writing Meditations, Marcus reflected upon this very notion and reminded himself:
“You have functioned as a part of something; you will vanish into what produced you. Or be restored, rather.”
Change is natural. Learn to embrace the changes that come forth and live the best life you can with the changes you face.
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