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
best gives
Genius always gives its best at first; prudence, at last.
difficulty
It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult.
adversity affect brave courage external mind powerful pressure
The pressure of adversity does not affect the mind of the brave man. It is more powerful than external circumstances.
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
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.
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.
compelling enter equal fortune freedom lists means slave
Freedom is not being a slave to any circumstance, to any constraint, to any chance; it means compelling Fortune to enter the lists on equal terms.
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.
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.
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.
poverty-and-the-poor whose wishes
Not he who has little, but he whose wishes more, is poor.
philosophers-and-philosophy philosophy plato received regard
Philosophy does not regard pedigree, she received Plato not as a noble, but she made him one.