The Utility of Service

“No man is tired of receiving what is useful. But it is useful to act according to nature. Do not then be tired of receiving what is useful by doing it to others.”
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Marcus Aurelius draws a compelling link between self-interest and service. He begins with a truth we all know—none of us tire of receiving things that are genuinely useful or helpful. But Stoicism doesn’t stop at passive receipt. Acting according to nature, in Stoic terms, means living in alignment with reason, virtue, and above all, cooperation. Human nature is social nature.

The insight here is deceptively simple: if receiving what is useful delights us, then giving what is useful should not exhaust us. In fact, it aligns us with our highest nature. To serve others is to serve the shared whole—and, in doing so, ourselves. This quote reframes service not as sacrifice, but as participation in the natural order.

Entrepreneurs often begin their journey with a product or idea they believe will help people. But as the grind sets in—deadlines, pivots, endless iterations—it’s easy to lose sight of that original spark: usefulness.

Marcus’s reminder is crucial. If it energises you to receive value—support, insight, funding—then don’t grow weary in offering the same to your users, your team, or your peers. True entrepreneurial purpose is sustained not by hype, but by usefulness.

Take, for example, a founder building a new productivity tool. After months of feature bloat, bugs, and user churn, it’s tempting to focus only on revenue. But stepping back and asking, “What’s still truly useful to my users?” can realign the mission.

Entrepreneurship, at its best, is usefulness in action. And usefulness, done repeatedly for others, will not drain you—it will define you.