Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.
Seneca The YoungerRead
He who has fostered the sweet poison of love by fondling it, finds it too late to refuse the yoke which he has of his own accord assumed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the idea that indulging in love can lead to a binding commitment one may regret later.
Seneca the Younger suggests that when someone nurtures and embraces love, they may unknowingly enter into a relationship that becomes difficult to escape. By cherishing love, one can become entrapped by it, realizing too late that they have willingly accepted the responsibilities and emotional ties that come with such affection.
Themes
LoveCommitmentAttachmentResponsibilityRegret
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the complexities of love at a wedding.
More from Seneca The Younger
All quotes βNo 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
And she moves among the sparrows. And she floats upon the breeze. She moves among the flowers. She moves something deep inside of me
Nick CaveRead
If you give up your quiet life, the bow of Cupid will lose its power.
OvidRead
The prayers of a lover are more imperious than the menaces of the whole world
George SandRead
There is a secret about human love that is commonly overlooked: Receiving it is much more scary and threatening than giving it. How many times in your life have you been unable to let in someone's love or even pushed it away? Much as we proclaim the wish to be truly loved, we are often afraid of that, and so find it difficult to open to love or let it all the way in.
John WelwoodRead
If I could for a moment just inspire you to love yourself, that would be worth EVERYTHING
Lady GagaRead
Those were the words she wanted to hear and she finally surrendered to the temptation of believing them.
Carlos Ruiz ZafonRead