Tag Archives: Seneca

A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party; there is no battle unless there be two.

A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party; there is no battle unless there be two. – Seneca What does that mean? This is a reminder that it takes Two to Tango. Just walk away. There is no … Continue reading

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No man was ever wise by chance.

No man was ever wise by chance. – Seneca What does that mean? Another brutally short and compact quote. I guess he expected people would have to chisel it into stone or something. But seriously, I always like a quote … Continue reading

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These individuals have riches just as we say that we “have a fever” when really the fever has us.

These individuals have riches just as we say that we “have a fever” when really the fever has us. – Seneca What does that mean? As frequently happens, the Twitter quote is just a tiny bit of the full quote. In … Continue reading

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Genius always gives its best at first; prudence, at last.

Genius always gives its best at first; prudence, at last. – Seneca What does that mean? This quote is about the eternal battle between the bright idea, blurted out and the measured and thoughtful response, given after careful con-sideration. This … Continue reading

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Why do I not seek some real good; one which I could feel, not one which I could display?

Why do I not seek some real good; one which I could feel, not one which I could display? – Seneca What does that mean? This quote is kind of hard to understand on it’s own, as the context is stripped by … Continue reading

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The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity.

The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity. – Seneca What does that mean? There are always troubles in our lives. We are all, at times, great. And we all have the opportunity to … Continue reading

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Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are.

Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. – Seneca What does that mean? This is a great minimalist quote. Not in that it is as brief as some of the famous … Continue reading

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The mind unlearns with difficulty what it has long learned.

The mind unlearns with difficulty what it has long learned. – Seneca What does that mean? This is the ‘old dog, new tricks’ quote. Most of us are creatures of habit. We learn something, we do it for a while, and it … Continue reading

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It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.

It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable. – Seneca What does that mean? This is an interesting quote, as anyone who as argued with someone may well have found out the hard way. Sometimes, their mind is just … Continue reading

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Light troubles speak; the weighty are struck dumb.

Light troubles speak; the weighty are struck dumb. – Seneca What does that mean? In the play, the speaker has a great desire, but cannot bring themselves to speak of it. It is in this pained situation that the quote was … Continue reading

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There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it.

There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it. – Seneca What does that mean? The act of doing something nice for someone else, a good turn as it is described in the quote, … Continue reading

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What difference does it make how much you have? What you do not have amounts to much more.

What difference does it make how much you have? What you do not have amounts to much more. – Seneca and Aulus Gellius What does that mean? This is a quote about perspective. We all have something, even if it is … Continue reading

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True happiness is… to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.

True happiness is… to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future. – Seneca What does that mean? This quote is about relaxing and being ‘in the moment.’ How often do we hurry to get here or there? How often … Continue reading

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I shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good.

I shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good. – Seneca What does that mean? This is a variant translation of a longer quote, which talks about being the bearer of bad news, and his … Continue reading

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We are more often frightened than hurt: and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.

We are more often frightened than hurt: and we suffer more from imagination than from reality. – Seneca What does that mean? Given that this is October, and the scariest night of the year is just a few weeks away, this is … Continue reading

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