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Not to waste time on nonsense. Not to be taken in by conjurors and hoodoo artists with their talk about incantations and exorcism and all the rest of it. Not to be obsessed with quail-fighting or other crazes like that.
Marcus Aurelius
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Focus on what is truly important and avoid distractions and frivolities.

In this quote, Marcus Aurelius emphasizes the importance of not getting caught up in trivial matters and distractions that can cloud one's judgment and waste time. He urges individuals to remain grounded and prioritize what genuinely matters in life, steering clear of the deceptive allure of superficial practices and trends.

Themes

WisdomFocusDistractionImportanceLife

In practice

Example use cases

During a motivational speech about productivity, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of prioritizing crucial tasks.

More from Marcus Aurelius

I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinions of himself than on the opinions of others.
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You don't have to turn this into something. It doesn't have to upset you. Things can't shape our decisions by themselves.
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A man's worth is no greater than his ambitions.
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