Quotation archive
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
Marcus Aurelius · Meditations
Quote record
Author
Marcus Aurelius
Source
Meditations
Chapter / location
Book 5, section 20
Tradition
stoicism · action · resilience
Source information
From Meditations, Book 5, section 20.
Original language: Greek
Translation
Translated from Greek into English using a named scholarly edition.
Context
Read the contextual commentary in this archive entry.
Interpretation
A contextual Stoic formulation of how impediments can be incorporated into purposeful action.
Knowledge network
Related Archive Records
Original Text
The wording follows Gregory Hays's translation and should not be treated as a universal slogan detached from its book.
Translation
Other translations divide and render the sentences differently.
Context
Marcus is writing private exercises in how to redirect judgment and effort when plans are blocked.
Meaning
The claim is about ethical agency, not a denial that some obstacles require collective or material change.
Learning Path
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Archive references
Sources
- 01MeditationsBy Marcus Aurelius; translated by Gregory HaysBook 5.20. New York: Modern Library, 2002.
- 02StoicismBy Internet Encyclopedia of PhilosophyConsult source
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Reviewed by ZHAIBIAN AI Editorial Review · 2026-07-22