Quotes by Seneca

Desultory reading is delightful, but to be beneficial, our reading must be carefully directed.

Life will follow the path it started upon, and will neither reverse nor check its course; it will make no noise, it will not remind you of its swiftness. Silent it will glide on; it will not prolong itself at the command of a king, or at the applause of the populace. Just as it was started on its first day, so it will run; nowhere will it turn aside, nowhere will it delay.

Pain is slight if opinion has added nothing to it; ... in thinking it slight, you will make it slight. Everything depends on opinion. It is according to opinion that we suffer. A man is as wretched as he has convinced himself that he is.

Night brings our troubles to the light rather than banishes them.

No untroubled day has ever dawned for me.

If you are surprised at the number of our maladies count our cooks.

When I think over what I have said I envy dumb people.

Constant exposure to dangers will breed contempt for them.

Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness.

What a great blessing is a friend with a heart so trusty you may safely bury all your secrets in it.

Fate rules the affairs of mankind with no recognizable order.

A great step toward independence is a good-humoured stomach.

The foremost art of kings is the power to endure hatred.

Let wickedness escape as it may at the bar it never fails of doing justice upon itself for every guilty person is his own hangman.

Learn how to feel joy.

A hungry people listens not to reason nor cares for justice nor is bent by any prayers.

It is often better not to see an insult than to avenge it.

It is often better not to see an insult than to avenge it.

Injustice never rules forever.

He who decides a case without hearing the other side though he decide justly cannot be considered just.