Gladiator quote that's wrong

maybe he thinks death is absurd, then there is nothing you can do might as well smile how absurd it is

and he had an absurd death after all

This is not a real Marcus Aurelius quote, first of all. It was made up for the movie. And you can't separate the context from the quote. In the movie, he is trying to take away the power of the sadistic emperor by showing no fear. It's a pragmatic move: the only thing you can do in a situation where some sadistic person has you physically overpowered and sends you to your death is to try to get at them psychologically: frustrate them by showing (even if you're just pretending) that you are not afraid of them (and therefore death). So he's not "wrong".

Also, being Stoical and embracing death doesn't mean that you don't have feelings for those near to you who pass tragically. This is a basic misunderstanding of Stoicism. Stoicism serves the purpose of helping people cope through rationality -- it doesn't turn them into robots who don't feel or encourage you to repress your feelings. It encourages you to think rationally so that your feelings aren't destructive. And if they do become destructive, you are to believe that your training has at least reduced the duration of them, but of course your training is not over and it will never be unless you become a sage (which is more of a useful but unreachable ideal than a real goal).

lol, pretty easy thing to say when he's doing all the murdering. probably wern't too many smiling germans after he went around slaughtering them all.

It's not that death is sad or happy it's just you are gonna die no matter what so it's how you make of it.

"You talk a lot" wtf does that even mean?

I'm referring to this scene:



I'm not aware if there is another scene in the movie where Marcus Aurelius says it. I haven't seen that movie in a long time. I thought you were referring to Maximus' reaction to his son's murder somehow contradicting his statement in this scene.

On October 14 2017 21:48 Loco wrote: Also, being Stoical and embracing death doesn't mean that you don't have feelings for those near to you who pass tragically. This is a basic misunderstanding of Stoicism. Stoicism serves the purpose of helping people cope through rationality -- it doesn't turn them into robots who don't feel or encourage you to repress your feelings. It encourages you to think rationally so that your feelings aren't destructive

Indeed, when I was younger for long I tried to trascend emotion only failing miserably, years later I came to terms that we are emotional beings with a shred of reason and ironically is a good thing, and that stoicism was only using that little shred to tame our emotions, for comfort in this example, it is far more complete and profound than silly illusions of men in the sky and lifes after death.

The more you think properly about death, the more you accept its reality the more beautiful it becomes, it is a peaceful release.

Of course when when Im about to die i'll be scared as I said on the post above, we are emotional beings and we are programmed to fear death, that has kept us alive for millenia, but when emotion does not take a hold of me I can honestly say I dont fear death at all.

Death is probably the best advisor when making decisions. Then again this could be interpreted quite widely.

The weirdest line from Gladiator was right before the Carthage battle (before antone knows his identity).
Maximus asks "have any of you been in the army before?"
Random dude says , "I served with you in Vindebona."
Maximus replies "Good, you can help me."