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
favorable man port wind
If a man does not know what port he is steering for, no wind is favorable to him.
courage fortune
Fortune can take away riches, but not courage.
powerful
He is the most powerful who has himself, in his power.
actions firmness itself life mastery mind precept teaches wisdom words
Wisdom does not show itself so much in precept as in life -- in firmness of mind and a mastery of appetite. It teaches us to do as well as to talk; and to make our words and actions all of a color.
actions firmness itself life mastery mind precept teaches wisdom words
Wisdom does not show itself so much in precept as in life - in a firmness of mind and mastery of appetite. It teaches us to do as well as talk; and to make our actions and words all of a color.
human kindness opportunity wherever
Wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for kindness
despair hope
Who can hope for nothing, should despair for nothing.
amuse anxious blessings content dependence either enjoy fears great happiness hopes mankind ourselves rest satisfied true wants whatever wise wishing within
True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.
contentment deprived endure endured happy highest lowest man misfortune
Happy the man who can endure the highest and the lowest fortune. He, who has endured such vicissitudes with equanimity, has deprived misfortune of its power.
change fault riches
The acquisition of riches has been to many not an end to their miseries, but a change in them: The fault is not in the riches, but the disposition.
articulate mere noise voice
The articulate voice is more distracting than mere noise
example learning precept road short
The road to learning by precept is long, but by example short and effective.
afraid cease hope
You cease to be afraid when you cease to hope; for hope is accompanied by fear.
certainty delay depend depends forward greatest loss relinquish time time-and-time-management
The greatest loss of time is delay and expectation, which depend upon the future. We let go the present, which we have in our power, and look forward to that which depends upon chance, and so relinquish a certainty for an uncertainty.