Seneca Quotes
200 quotes
Seneca
Roman Stoic Philosopher, Playwright, and Statesman.
200 Quotes
Delay not; seize the day, trusting little in the future
— Thyestes, Chorus 2
We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end to them
— On the Shortness of Life (De Brevitate Vitae), Chapter III
Associate with people who are likely to improve you
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 7
It is the trials of life that show us who we are
— On Providence, Section V
It is not that we are given a short life, but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it
— On the Shortness of Life, Chapter 1
To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 78
He who has made a fair compact with poverty is rich
— On the Happy Life, Chapter 17
It is the sign of a great mind to dislike greatness, and to prefer things in measure to things in excess
— Moral Essays, On Tranquility of Mind
As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVII
He who receives a benefit with gratitude repays the first installment of his debt
— On Benefits, Book II, Chapter 22
A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials
— On Providence (De Providentia), Section V
He who dares not offend cannot be honest
— On Anger, Book III, Section 13
He who boasts of his ancestry praises the deeds of another
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter XLIV
The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable
— Epistles, 98.10
No good thing is pleasant to possess, without friends to share it
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 6
The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately
— Moral Letters, 1.2 To Lucilius
Fire tests gold, suffering tests brave men
— On Providence, Section 5
To live for others is a noble thing, but to live for oneself first is wiser
— On the Happy Life, Chapter XIII
Constancy is the groundwork of virtue
— Moral Letters, Letter IX
No acquisition can be made without the loss of something else
— On Benefits, Book 5
He is most powerful who has power over himself
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 50
The best remedy for anger is delay
— On Anger, Book 3, Section 12
A happy life consists in a mind that is free, upright, and undaunted
— On the Happy Life
It is not the man who has too little who is poor, but the one who hankers after more
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter II
No man is free who is a slave to his passions
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 47
It is the business of a wise man to resist pleasures, but of a fool to be a slave to them
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXXVI
The part of life we really live is small. For all the rest of existence is not life, but merely time
— On the Shortness of Life, Chapter 2
What is harder than rock? What is softer than water? Yet hard rocks are hollowed out by soft water
— On Providence, Section 10
A good character is the only guarantee of everlasting, carefree happiness
— On the Happy Life, Chapter 4
We learn not in the school, but in life
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 106
Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 78
He who has made a fair compact with poverty is rich
— Epistles, 4.9
If you would judge, investigate the facts; if you would be successful, know how to inquire
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter XLVII
No one can lead a happy life if he thinks only of himself and turns everything to his own purposes. You ought to live for the other fellow, if you want to live for yourself.
— Moral Letters, Letter XLVIII
What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears
— On Consolation to Marcia, Chapter 19
No one can live happily who has regard to himself alone and transforms everything into a question of his own utility
— On the Happy Life, Chapter 16
One hand washes the other
— On Benefits, Book 1, Chapter 4
It is a great thing to know the season for speech and the season for silence
— On Anger, Book II, Chapter 9
Let us see to it that the recollection of no day be a cause of shame to us when we review it
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 83
No evil propensity of the human heart is so powerful that it may not be subdued by discipline
— On Anger (De Ira), Book I, Chapter 7
Who is everywhere is nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends.
— Moral Letters, Letter II
He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 47
For many men, the acquisition of wealth does not end their troubles, it only changes them
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 110
He is a great man who uses earthenware dishes as if they were silver; but he is equally great who uses silver as if it were earthenware
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 5
Every reign must submit to its end
— Thyestes, Line 885
No man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdom
— On the Happy Life, Chapter 5
Sometimes even to live is an act of courage
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 78
Let us train our minds to desire what the situation demands
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 98
No man was ever wise by chance
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 76
To be everywhere is to be nowhere
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 2
The wise man regards wealth as a slave, the fool as a master
— On the Happy Life, Chapter 24
It is more fitting for a man to laugh at life than to lament over it
— De Tranquillitate Animi, Chapter 15
While we wait for life, life passes
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter XLIX
No evil is honorable: but death is honorable; therefore death is not evil
— Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, Letter 70
Where you arrive does not matter so much as what sort of person you are when you arrive there
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 28
Apply yourself to thinking through difficulties—hardships must be cell-mates, not enemies
— Moral Letters, Letter LXVII
We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more in imagination than in reality
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter XIII
No one consents to bear misfortunes with patience except those who have a stout heart and a clear conscience
— On Anger, 2.32
A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer
— De Beneficiis, Book I, Section 6
A man's as miserable as he thinks he is
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 78
No man suffers more than he who hates
— Thyestes
Cease to hope and you will cease to fear
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter V
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end
— Letter 76, Letters to Lucilius
Let us say what we feel, and feel what we say; let speech harmonize with life
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 75
He that owns himself loses nothing
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 115
He who is everywhere is nowhere
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter II
What is harder than rock? What is softer than water? Yet hard rocks are hollowed out by soft water
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 78
Light griefs are loquacious, but the great are dumb
— De Consolatione ad Marciam, Chapter 11
Nothing, to my way of thinking, is a better proof of a well-ordered mind than a man’s ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company
— Epistles, Letter II
No man was ever wise by chance
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 76
The first step towards amendment is the recognition of error
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 28
It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it
— On the Shortness of Life (De Brevitate Vitae), Chapter I
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVIII
A great fortune is a great slavery
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 87
What fortune has made yours is not your own
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 98
Time discovers truth
— Dialogues, On Anger, Book II, Chapter XXII
He who does good to another does good also to himself
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 81
True happiness is... to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future
— Letter to Lucilius, Letter V (Moral Letters to Lucilius)
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.
— Moral Letters, Letter XLVII
He who is brave is free
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 37
We often want one thing and pray for another, not telling the truth even to the gods
— On the Shortness of Life, Chapter 17
It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter II
We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality
— Letter 13, Letters to Lucilius
If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable
— Letter 71, Letters to Lucilius
We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end to them
— On the Shortness of Life, Chapter 3
Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 101
A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer
— On Benefits, Book 1
No man is crushed by misfortune unless he has first been deceived by prosperity
— On Consolation to Helvia, Section 10
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXIII
It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 2
There is no easy way from the earth to the stars
— Hercules Furens, Line 437
All cruelty springs from weakness
— On Anger, Book II, Section 42
No man was ever wise by chance
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 76
Men do not care how nobly they live, but only how long, although it is within the reach of every man to live nobly, but within no man's power to live long
— On the Shortness of Life, Section 22
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful
— Natural Questions, Preface to Book 1
Men love their country, not because it is great, but because it is their own
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 66
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXXVII
If you wish to be loved, love
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter IX
If you wish to be loved, love
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 9
We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation
— On Benefits, Book II, Chapter I
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable
— Moral Letters, 26.7 To Lucilius
The best remedy for anger is delay
— On Anger, Book II, Chapter 29
Nothing deters a good man from doing what is honorable
— On Providence
The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today
— On the Shortness of Life, Section 9
Withdraw into yourself, as far as you can. Associate with those who will make a better man of you. Welcome those whom you yourself can improve
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter VII
A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials
— On Providence, 5.5
What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself
— Epistles, Letter VI
He who seeks wisdom is a wise man already; he who thinks that he has found it is mad
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter II
We are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it
— On the Shortness of Life, Section 1
No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself
— On Providence, Section 4
He is most powerful who has power over himself
— Moral Essays, On Anger, Book 3
It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter II
He who is everywhere is nowhere
— Epistle II, Moral Letters to Lucilius
Sometimes even to live is an act of courage
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVIII
Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember
— On Providence
He who fears death will never do anything worth of a man who is alive
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 4
To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden
— On Providence, Section 5
No evil is honorable: but death is honorable; therefore death is not evil
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXX
He who is brave is free
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 37
No one can lead a happy life if they think only of themselves and turn everything to their own purposes. You ought to live for the other fellow, if you want to live for yourself
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 48
He who is brave is free
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 37
A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not
— Epistles, Letter 123
He who indulges in empty fears earns himself real fears
— Epistles, Letter XIII
He who fears death will never do anything worth of a man who is alive
— Letter 4, Letters to Lucilius
We must indulge the mind and from time to time allow it the leisure which is its food and strength
— On Tranquility of Mind, Chapter 17
No man was ever wise by chance
— On Anger, Book II, 11
The greatest empire is to be emperor of oneself
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 113
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVIII
If you wish to be loved, love
— Epigrams
No man was ever wise by chance
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 76
There is no enjoying the possession of anything valuable unless one has someone to share it with
— Moral Letters, Letter VI
Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants
— Moral Letters, Letter II
Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly
— Moral Letters, Letter XXIV
Everywhere means nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 2
A kingdom founded on injustice never lasts
— Thyestes, Act II
The wise man is content with himself, yet always ready for change
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 9
Every guilty person is his own hangman
— Thyestes, Act I
Nothing is ours, except time
— On the Shortness of Life, Chapter 1
He suffers more than necessary, who suffers before it is necessary
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter XIII
No man was ever wise by chance
— Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, Letter 76
No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself
— On Providence, Chapter 4
It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it
— On the Shortness of Life, Chapter 1
Never did I trust fortune, even when she seemed to be at peace
— Tragedies, Thyestes, line 505
No man was ever wise by chance
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVI
No man was ever wise by chance
— On the Shortness of Life, Chapter 7
Associate with people who are likely to improve you
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter VII
It is not poverty that we should fear, but the lack of desire for anything beyond it
— Letter 19, Letters to Lucilius
No wind is favorable to the man who knows not to which port he sails
— Moral Letters, Letter LXXI
Anger is like a ruin, which, in falling upon its victim, breaks itself to pieces
— On Anger, Book I, Section 19
He who fears death will never do anything worthy of a man who is alive
— Moral Letters, Letter IV
It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness
— On Providence
No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself
— On Providence, 4.6
It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it
— On the Shortness of Life, Chapter 1
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable
— De Constantia Sapientis, Chapter 5
Withdraw into yourself as far as you can
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 7
Count each day as a separate life
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter CVII
What man can you show me who places any value on his time, who reckons the worth of each day, who understands that he is dying daily
— On the Shortness of Life, Section 3
A great fortune is a great slavery
— Epistle XII, Moral Letters to Lucilius
The sun also shines on the wicked.
— Thyestes, line 400
Only time can heal what reason cannot
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 81
Life is long if you know how to use it
— On the Shortness of Life, Section III
It is more fitting for a man to laugh at life than to lament over it
— On the Tranquility of the Mind
A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 9
We must indulge the mind and from time to time allow it the leisure which is its food and strength
— On Tranquility of Mind
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 104
True happiness is... to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter V
If you live in harmony with nature you will never be poor; if you live according what others think, you will never be rich
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 16
You want to live—but do you know how to live?
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter XV
He suffers not from the misfortunes, but from the shame of them
— On Anger, Book 3, Chapter 33
Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it
— On Anger, Book I
It is more civilized to make fun of life than to bewail it
— On Tranquility of Mind, Section 15
To wish to be well is a part of becoming well
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVIII
To wish to be well is a part of becoming well
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVIII
The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity
— On Providence, Chapter 2
Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it
— On Anger, Book I, Chapter 1
It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXXV
No man is crushed by misfortune unless he has first been deceived by prosperity
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter XCIII
Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness
— On Anger, Book 1, Chapter 1
Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 101
To wish to be well is a part of becoming well
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVIII
For there are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 13
It is the quality rather than the quantity that matters
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter XLV
Withdraw into yourself as far as you can
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter VII
One must steer, not yield to the waves
— Epistle XXXVII, Moral Letters to Lucilius
He who has great power should use it lightly
— On Clemency, Book 1
The greatest wealth is a poverty of desires
— Epistles, Letter IX
No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity, for he is not permitted to prove himself.
— On Providence, Chapter 4
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 78
Fire tests gold, suffering tests brave men
— On Providence, Section V
Only time can heal what reason cannot
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 81
To be everywhere is to be nowhere
— Moral Letters, 2.2 To Lucilius
A great mind becomes a great fortune
— On Tranquility of Mind, Section 6
No man can have a peaceful life who thinks too much about lengthening it
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 4
It is another's fault if he be ungrateful; but it is mine if I do not give. To find one thankful man, I will oblige a great many who are not so
— On Benefits, Book V, Section 16
There is no genius without a touch of madness
— On Tranquility of Mind, 17.10
No man is crushed by misfortune unless he has first been deceived by prosperity
— Moral Letters, Letter XCIX
Anger: an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured
— On Anger (De Ira), Book III
Fate leads the willing, and drags along the reluctant
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter CVII
Every guilty person is his own hangman
— Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, Letter 97
We suffer more often in imagination than in reality
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 13