Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Lucius Annaeus Senecawas a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionStatesman
anticipate foolish wretched
Nothing is so wretched or foolish as to anticipate misfortunes. What madness is it to be expecting evil before it comes.
sentiments
Nothing is so contemptible as the sentiments of the mob.
philosophers-and-philosophy philosophy plato received regard
Philosophy does not regard pedigree, she received Plato not as a noble, but she made him one.
poverty-and-the-poor whose wishes
Not he who has little, but he whose wishes more, is poor.
cure wish
It is part of the cure to wish to be cured.
discipline evil heart human powerful propensity subdued
No evil propensity of the human heart is so powerful that it may mot be subdued by discipline.
according nature opinions thou wilt
If thou live according to nature, thou wilt never be poor; if according to the opinions of the world, thou wilt never be rich.
cases envy estimate evil less loss troubles
No evil is without its compensation. The less money, the less trouble; the less favor, the less envy. Even in those cases which put us out of wits, it is not the loss itself, but the estimate of the loss that troubles us.
courage fortune
Fortune can take away riches, but not courage.
money
But it is a pretty thing to see what money will do!
expectation running serve
Even if it is to be, what end do you serve by running to distress?
brought call mastered ourselves passions temptation themselves vices
We should every night call ourselves to an account: what infirmity have I mastered today? what passions opposed? what temptation resisted? what virtue acquired? Our vices will abate of themselves if they be brought every day to the shrift.
building carried drudgery equally form inventing inventions lessons lies lowest men object office pace parts perfection philosophy rapid teach time warmth windows writer
In my own time there have been inventions of this sort, transparent windows tubes for diffusing warmth equally through all parts of a building short-hand, which has been carried to such a perfection that a writer can keep pace with the most rapid speaker. But the inventing of such things is drudgery for the lowest slaves; philosophy lies deeper. It is not her office to teach men how to use their hands. The object of her lessons is to form the soul.
example learning precept road short
The road to learning by precept is long, but by example short and effective.