Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.
Seneca The YoungerRead
When I think over what I have said, I envy dumb people.
Interpretation
Seneca reflects on the burdens of speech and the envy of those who do not have to express their thoughts.
In this quote, Seneca expresses a profound observation about the nature of communication and the internal struggles that often accompany articulate expression. He suggests that speaking allows for deeper reflection and analysis, which can lead to regret or conflict over one's own thoughts, making him envious of those who are unable to articulate their ideas and therefore are free from such burdens.
In practice
In a debate about the philosophy of language, one could use this quote to illustrate the complexities of expressing thoughts.
Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.
No tree becomes rooted and sturdy unless many a wind assails it. For by its very tossing it tightens its grip and plants its roots more securely; the fragile trees are those that have grown in a sunny valley.
Slavery takes hold of few, but many take hold of slavery.
To be able to endure odium is the first art to be learned by those who aspire to power.
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.
Loyalty is the holiest good in the human heart.
I want to die a slave to principles. Not to men.
If ever I said in grief or pride, I'd tired of honest things, I lied.
The body sleeps, the heart sleeps, the mind sleeps - but you remain alert because you are nothing else but alertness. Everything else is a false identification. Awareness is your nature. The body is your abode. The mind is your computer. Awareness;s you, is your very being.
The certainty of a God giving meaning to life far surpasses in attractiveness the ability to behave badly with impunity. The choice would not be hard to make. But there is no choice and that is where the bitterness comes in. The absurd does not liberate; it binds.
Utopias now appear much more realizable than one used to think. We are now faced with a different new worry: How to prevent their realization.
Let us respect others no one lives alone in a city, a nation, or a world.
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