Philosophy for Children Part Four: Marcus Aurelius and Grief

Sadness arises when you feel resentful, annoyed or disappointed about something.

Marcus Aurelius was a wise man who lived a long time ago. He was a Roman emperor as well as a philosopher. Aurelius is best known for his Meditations, a work in which he presented his thoughts and ideas.

One of the topics that Marcus Aurelius wrote about was the issue of “Grief“. Sadness arises when you feel resentful, annoyed or disappointed about something. Usually, when you have an upsetting thought in your head, you can’t stop thinking about it, even if it’s not a big deal.

Marcus Aurelius believed that we can control being sad. He thought that even if we are not in control of what happens to us, we are in control of how we react to it. In other words, it is us who choose to be sad or not.

Aurelius believed that we should think about why something bothers us. Sometimes we get upset about things that are not really important and we should try to let them go. Other times, however, there may be a good reason to be upset and we should try to figure out how to fix the problem.

Another thing Marcus Aurelius said was that we should always try to be kind, even when we are upset. He thought that getting angry at someone didn’t solve anything and usually only made things worse. Instead, we should try to talk to that person calmly and find a solution together. We cannot control what other people do or say. He thought that if we focused on the things we could do, we would be less upset.

Aurelius believed that if our feelings of unhappiness lead to anger and rage, we should rest or do something that makes us happy. This can be walking, talking with a friend, or doing something creative.

He said that we should try to see the good in every situation. Even if something bad happens, there is usually a lesson we can learn from it. So, in short, Marcus Aurelius believed that if we learn how to control our emotions, we will feel happier and more peaceful.

A Short story:

Once upon a time, a girl named Lily loved to play in the park. One day, he fell while playing and injured his knee. He started to cry. Lily’s mother rushed to her and picked her up and hugged her. “It’s okay honey, let’s go home,” he said.

On the way home, Lily’s knee was still hurting and she couldn’t forget her pain.

His mother noticed his distress and suggested that they play on the way to distract him. “Lily, let’s count all the red cars we see along the way,” Mother said.

Lily liked the suggestion and they started counting the red cars. At first, he thought about the pain in his knee, but as he counted more, he gradually forgot about it.

When they got home Lily laughed again. His knee hurt a little, but not so much that he cried. She learned that sometimes, managing emotions helps us cope better with grief.

Think Station:

• If you are hungry, can you focus on the lesson?
• If your classmate makes fun of you at school. Can you ignore and not retaliate?
• If your favorite team loses. Do you get frustrated with it too soon?