How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter)
Quote #7
Don't let the impression of other people's grief carry you away indiscriminately. Help them, yes, as best you can and as the case deserves, even if their grief is for the loss of something indifferent: but do not imagine their loss as any real harm—that is the wrong way of thinking. (5.36)
Marcus voices a central tenet of Stoicism: keep the drama to a minimum. While empathy is important—especially when trying to figure out a person's motivations—it can go too far. It's never a good idea for you to indulge your emotions too far, whether in grief or happiness. Manic highs and lows, for Marcus, are a sign that you're not in control of your mind and are too susceptible to sense impressions. The further you can distance yourself from emotional response, the more divine you are.
Quote #8
Take care not to be Caesarified, or dyed in purple: it happens. So keep yourself simple, good, unpretentious, a friend of justice, god-fearing, kind, full of affection, strong for your proper work. Strive hard to remain the same man that philosophy wished to make you. (6.30)
This principle goes along with Marcus's earlier bit about plain-speaking: basically, just don't be fancy. Purity and simplicity bring you closer to the gods and keep you from the influence of the external world. It also keeps you clear of dependence on unworthy (transient) things and keeps you focused on the eternal, the important. So no matter how imperial things get for Marcus, he's got to respond to the strictures of philosophy, which always tell him to keep it real.
Quote #9
Your principles are living things. How else could they be deadened, except by the extinction of the corresponding mental images? And the constant rekindling of these is up to you. (7.2)
Marcus even has principles about his principles. In this case, he realizes that he has to work hard to keep those philosophical ideals relevant and active in his life. If he loses mental focus, he'll forget what he's about. It's a lonely struggle, but it's also a little exciting to think that something abstract can be crucial to actions in daily life.