Seneca
c. 4 BC – AD 65
A Roman statesman, dramatist, and one of the most prolific writers on Stoicism, Seneca served as an advisor to Emperor Nero. His works, particularly the 'Moral Letters to Lucilius', are a treasure trove of practical advice on ethics, mortality, and how to live a meaningful life. His writings are known for their sharp wit and psychological insight.
Wisdom from Seneca
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor."
"Life is long if you know how to use it."
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
"He suffers more than is necessary, who suffers before it is necessary."
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
"Associate with people who are likely to improve you."
"It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness."
"To be everywhere is to be nowhere."
"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."
"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials."
"We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality."
"True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future."
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful."
"As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters."