Seneca Quotes

The approach of liberty makes even an old man brave.

Of course, however, the living voice and the intimacy of a common life will help you more than the written word. You must go to the scene of action, first, because men put more faith in their eyes than in their ears, and second, because the way is long if one follows precepts, but short and helpful, if one follows patterns.

“It is nothing—a trifling matter at most; keep a stout heart and it will soon cease”; then in thinking it slight, you will make it slight. Everything depends on opinion; ambition, luxury, greed, hark back to opinion. It is according to opinion that we suffer.

Prove your words by your deeds.

You will not mention a single home so wretched that it could not take comfort from knowing one more wretched.

Optimum est pati quod emendare non possis.

The cause of anger is the belief that we are injured; this belief, therefore, should not be lightly entertained. We ought not to fly into a rage even when the injury appears to be open and distinct: for some false things bear the semblance of truth. We should always allow some time to elapse, for time discloses the truth.

bonus iudex damnat inprobanda, non odit.

fidei acerrimus exactor est perfidus

You must die erect and unyielding.

Show me a man who isn’t a slave; one who is a slave to sex, another to money, another to ambition; all are slaves to hope or fear.

Man will live ill who will not know how to die well.

Rationale enim animal est homo.

Often a very old man has no other proof of his long life than his age.

A life dragged slowly on / amidst laments, becomes a kind of death.