Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.
Seneca The YoungerRead
When some state or other offered Alexander a part of its territory and half of all its property he told them that 'he hadn't come to Asia with the intention of accepting whatever they cared to give him, but of letting them keep whatever he chose to leave them.' Philosophy, likewise, tells all other occupations: 'It's not my intention to accept whatever time is leftover from you; you shall have, instead, what I reject.' Give your whole mind to her.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of dedicating oneself fully to philosophy, rather than accepting it as an afterthought.
Seneca highlights that true philosophical pursuit should not be a mere afterthought, similar to how Alexander the Great approached conquests; rather, one should fully commit to philosophy, prioritizing it above all else. The message advocates for the rejection of half-hearted engagements and encourages individuals to devote their entire focus and intellect to philosophical thought, framing it as an essential part of life rather than a secondary concern.
Themes
PhilosophyDedicationCommitmentLifeIntellect
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about following one's passion.
More from Seneca The Younger
All quotes →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.
Seneca The YoungerRead
Slavery takes hold of few, but many take hold of slavery.
Seneca The YoungerRead
To be able to endure odium is the first art to be learned by those who aspire to power.
Seneca The YoungerRead
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.
Seneca The YoungerRead
Loyalty is the holiest good in the human heart.
Seneca The YoungerRead
Similar quotes
There is only one basic human right: the right to do as you please, without causing others harm. With it comes our only basic human duty: the duty to accept the consequences of our actions.
P. J. O'RourkeRead
My father so appropriately put it that we are certainly the only animal that makes conscious choices that are bad for our survival as a species.
Louise LeakeyRead
See how he cowers and sneaks, how vaguely all the day he fears, not being immortal nor divine, but the slave and prisoner of his own opinion of himself, a fame won by his own deeds. Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Great causes and little men go ill together.
Jawaharlal NehruRead
We believe deep down that we've lost something precious and are seeking it outside ourselves, never realizing that we are carrying it within us wherever we go.
Tsoknyi RinpocheRead
All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.
Barack ObamaRead