# Using Depression's Realistic Insight to Orient Yourself Towards What You Care About ![[MarcusAureliusAndDepressiveInsightToOrientingYourself720.webm]] **Source:** [The Subtle Art of NOT CARING: The Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius & Stoicism by @Sisyphus55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbOjl2C45hg) - Marcus Aurelius argues there are only two things we should be concerned with: 1) To act justly 2) To love that which is allotted to us - "'I have it in my soul to keep out any evil, desire or any kind of disturbance—instead, seeing the true nature of things, I will give them only their due.' Always remember this power that nature gave you." - "Such an insight, although initially filled with despair, should be seen as an avenue towards orienting yourself into that which you do find happiness and meaning within. To do this, one must engage with another component of Aurelius' philosophy: that one's anxiety and despair is not cause by things per se, but rather our own thoughts about such things." - "'Things cannot touch the mind.' And if you know that these things, the opinions of others, material objects, wealth, is all insignificant, then it shouldn't really too difficult of a task to end your despair over them. They don't matter. And now comes the task of caring for that which *does* matter." - "If you set yourself to your present task along the path of true reason, with all determination, vigor, and good will: if you admit no distraction, but keep your own divinity pure and standing strong, as if you had to surrender it right now; if you grapple this to you, expecting nothing, shirking nothing, but self-content with each present action taken in accordance with nature and a heroic truthfulness in all that you say and mean - then you will lead a good life. And **nobody** is able to stop you."