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Virtue needs a director and guide. Vice can be learned even without a teacher.

Seneca the Younger

In the meantime, cling tooth and nail to the following rule: not to give in to adversity, not to trust prosperity, and always take full note of fortune’s habit of behaving just as she pleases.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Adversity Giving Teeth
People do not die – they kill themselves.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Die People Philosophy
Hardly a man will you find who could live with his door open.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Door Find Men Open
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.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Life Poison Sweet
Drunkenness does not create vice; it merely brings it into view.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Alcohol Beer Drunkenness View
The greater part of progress is the desire to progress.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Desire Greater Progress
We are wrong in looking forward to death: in great measure it’s past already.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Death Forward Life Look Past
We are born to lose and to perish, to hope and to fear, to vex ourselves and others; and there is no antidote against a common calamity but virtue; for the foundation of true joy is in the conscience.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Foundation Joy True Vex
[During difficult times and after mistakes and failures it is helpful to remember …] Oftentimes calamity turns to our advantage and great ruins make way for greater glories.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Failure Mistake Remember Ruin Way
The wise man lacked nothing but needed a great number of things, whereas the fool, on the other hand, needs nothing (for he does not know how to use anything) but lacks everything.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Hand Men Wise
For men in a state of freedom had thatch for their shelter, while slavery dwells beneath marble and gold.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Freedom Men Simplicity
As long as we are among humans, let us be humane.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Country Emotion Humane Long People Person
The point is, not how long you live, but how nobly you live.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Courage Hero Life
Religion worships God, while superstition profanes that worship.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

God Superstitions Worship
There’s one blessing only, the source and cornerstone of beatitude: confidence in self.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Blessed Blessing Confidence
Precepts are the rules by which we ought to square our lives. When they are contracted into sentences, they strike the affections; whereas admonition is only blowing of the coal.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Affection Coal Squares
Injustice never rules forever.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Forever Injustice Justice
The wise man will always reflect concerning the quality not the quantity of life.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Men Quality Quantity Wise
I had rather never receive a kindness than never bestow one.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Bestnow Kindness Recieve
The first step towards amendment is the recognition of error.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Error First Step
All my life I have been seeking to climb out of the pit of my besetting sins and I cannot do it and I never will unless a hand is let down to draw me up.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Besetting Down Hands Let Pit
Virtue with some is nothing but successful temerity.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Successful Temerity Virtue
It is dishonorable to say one thing and think another; how much more dishonorable to write one thing and think another.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Deceit Dishonorable Think Write
The highest duty and the highest proof of wisdom – that deed and word should be in accord.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Accord Deed Highest Proof Word
When one is friend on himself, also is friend of everybody.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Everybody Friend Life Own
Diligence is a very great help even to a mediocre intelligence. -Diligentia maximum etiam mediocris ingeni subsidium
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Help Intelligence Mediocrity
The road by precepts is tedious, by example, short and efficacious.
SENECA THE YOUNGER

Efficacious Example Good Tedious

Virtue needs a director and guide. Vice can be learned even without a teacher.

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Virtue needs a director and guide. Vice can be learned even without a teacher.

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