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Who really said it

Think not so much of what thou hast not as of what thou hast: but of the things which thou hast select the best, and then reflect how eagerly they would have been sought, if thou hadst them not

Written by Marcus Aurelius 121–180 AD · Roman emperor & Stoic philosopher
Verified Free to reuse

This is a genuine line from Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, Book VII, section 27. The exact English wording is George Long’s 1862 translation; Marcus himself wrote it in Koine Greek as a private note to himself around 170–180 AD.

Last verified 10 Jul 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?

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“Think not so much of what thou hast not as of what thou hast: but of the things which thou hast select the best, and then reflect how eagerly they would have been sought, if thou hadst them not” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book VII.27 (trans. George Long, 1862)

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Evoking the world of Marcus Aurelius — Roman emperor & Stoic philosopher. Theme: "Think not so much of what thou hast not as of what thou hast: but of the things which thou hast select the best, and then reflect how eagerly they would have been sought, if thou hadst them not". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.

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Provenance

The source

Work
Meditations, Book VII, §27
Written
c. 170–180 AD, in Koine Greek
Translation
George Long, 1862
Confidence
Verified — genuine passage

Think not so much of what thou hast not as of what thou hast: but of the things which thou hast select the best, and then reflect how eagerly they would have been sought, if thou hadst them not. At the same time however take care that thou dost not through being so pleased with them accustom thyself to overvalue them, so as to be disturbed if ever thou shouldst not have them.

The full section (VII.27) in George Long’s 1862 translation. The widely-shared version usually stops at “if thou hadst them not,” dropping Marcus’s follow-up warning against becoming attached to those same possessions.

Meditations, Book VII (George Long translation), Internet Classics Archive

How we verified this

Public domain

The Meditations was written in the 2nd century AD and its Greek text is long in the public domain. The specific English wording quoted here is George Long’s translation, first published in 1862 — well before 1931 — so this translation is also in the public domain in the United States.

This reflects the original work, which is public domain. If your exact English wording comes from a specific modern translation, that translation may itself still be under copyright — check the edition you quote.

Fact-check

A genuine quote — with a catch

This one is real: it is authentic Marcus Aurelius. The only things worth flagging are how the wording travels.

George Long (translator) translation

The archaic “thou hast / hadst” English is George Long’s 1862 rendering ↗. Marcus wrote in Greek; other translators (Hays, Farquharson, Hard) word VII.27 quite differently, so quoting these exact words as if Marcus “said” them is a translator’s voice, not the emperor’s.

Social media / quote sites truncation

The popular form stops at “if thou hadst them not,” turning it into a tidy gratitude aphorism. Marcus’s actual section VII.27 ↗ continues with a Stoic caution against over-valuing those same things — the balance that makes it Stoic rather than merely sentimental.

Authentic Marcus Aurelius, Meditations VII.27 ↗ — just remember the words are George Long’s 1862 translation, and the full passage carries a second, less-quoted half.

Context

Why it mattered

The Meditations were never written for an audience. They are the private journal of a working emperor — jotted, in Greek, during campaigns on the Danube frontier — reminding himself how to live. Section VII.27 is one such reminder: a small mental exercise for redirecting attention from lack toward possession.

Its Stoic point is not simple positive thinking. Marcus tells himself to imagine his blessings as if he did not have them (a technique later called negative visualization) — and then, in the same breath, warns against clinging to them, so that losing them would not disturb his peace.

Reflect how eagerly they would have been sought, if thou hadst them not.

The half people skip

The commonly shared version omits Marcus’s closing caution: “take care that thou dost not… overvalue them, so as to be disturbed if ever thou shouldst not have them.” The full passage is about equanimity, not acquisition.

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Filed under

More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.

Gratitude Wisdom

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Dig deeper

Trusted places to keep pulling the thread — primary archives, fact-checks, and scholarship. We show how we used each one before you leave.

Meditations, Book VII (George Long)classics.mit.edu

The full Book VII in George Long’s 1862 translation, containing the passage verbatim.
Marcus Aureliusen.wikiquote.org

Wikiquote lists the line in its sourced quotes under Book VII, 27.
Meditations (Standard Ebooks, George Long)standardebooks.org

Clean full text of the public-domain 1862 George Long translation.
Meditations (Project Gutenberg)gutenberg.org

Public-domain George Long translation of the Meditations, freely downloadable.
Meditations, Book VII (Bartleby / Harvard Classics)bartleby.com

Book VII of the Meditations in the Harvard Classics edition (George Long text).

The true author

Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius

121–180 AD · Roman emperor & Stoic philosopher

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121–180 AD) was Roman emperor from 161 until his death and the last of the “Five Good Emperors.” His Meditations — a private notebook of Stoic reflections written in Greek during his military campaigns, never intended for publication — became one of the most enduring works of Stoic philosophy. This line is a characteristic Stoic exercise in gratitude and detachment.

For writers & researchers

Cite this

Primary source — Chicago

Marcus Aurelius. The Thoughts of the Emperor M. Aurelius Antoninus (Meditations), Book VII, section 27. Translated by George Long. London: Bell & Daldy, 1862.

MLA (9th ed.)

Aurelius, Marcus. The Thoughts of the Emperor M. Aurelius Antoninus. Translated by George Long, Bell & Daldy, 1862.

APA (7th ed.)

Aurelius, M. (1862). The thoughts of the Emperor M. Aurelius Antoninus (G. Long, Trans.). Bell & Daldy. (Original work published c. 170–180 CE)

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Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Think not so much of what thou hast not as of what thou hast: but of the things which thou hast select the best, and then reflect how eagerly they would have been sought, if thou hadst them not’?” Last verified 10 Jul 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/think-not-so-much-of-what-thou-hast-not-as-of-what-thou

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