Seneca the Younger, fully Lucius Annaeus Seneca and also known simply as Seneca, was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and—in one work—satirist of the Silver Age of Latin literature. Profoundly inspirational Seneca quotes will encourage you to think a little deeper than you usually would and broaden your perspective.
If you’re searching for quotes from greatest philosophers that perfectly capture what you’d like to say or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of profound Schopenhauer quotes, amazing William James quotes and top Montesquieu quotes.
Famous Seneca Quotes
The best answer to anger is silence
True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so, wants nothing.
The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have
Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.
How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life
We suffer more in imagination than in reality.
You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
As long as you live, keep learning how to live.
The best revenge is not to be like your enemy
The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity.
Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart
All cruelty springs from weakness.
Confine yourself to the present
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.
You can commit injustice by doing nothing
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.
Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.
Each day provides its own gifts
Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.
Give yourself a gift, the present moment
Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.
The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away
Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.
Have I been made for this, to lie under the blankets and keep myself warm?
Ignorance is the cause of fear.
Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst
If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.
Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil
As for old age, embrace and love it. It abounds with pleasure if you know how to use it. The gradually declining years are among the sweetest in a man’s life, and I maintain that, even when they have reached the extreme limit, they have their pleasure still.
I cannot escape death, but at least I can escape the fear of it
As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.
How trivial the things we want so passionately are
Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.
Settle on the type of person you want to be and stick to it, whether alone or in company
The good things of prosperity are to be wished; but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.
Consider at what price you sell your integrity, but please, for God’s sake, don’t sell it cheap
Silence is a lesson learned through life’s many sufferings.
We suffer more often in imagination than in reality
You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desire.
Ignorance is the cause of fear
While we wait for life, life passes
He suffers more than necessary, who suffers before it is necessary.
Life is long, if you know how to use it
Consult your friend on all things, especially on those which respect yourself. His counsel may then be useful where your own self love might impair your judgment.
Hurry up and live
One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.
Cease to hope and you will cease to fear
Hang on to your youthful enthusiasm, you’ll be able to use them better when you’re older.
Wealth is the slave of a wise man and the master of a fool
Every night before going to sleep, we must ask ourselves what weakness did I overcome today? What virtue did I acquire?
Only time can heal what reason cannot
Associate with people who are likely to improve you.
While we are postponing, life speeds by
True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.
Life, if well lived, is long enough
Wealth is the slave of the wise. The master of the fool.
Hang on to your youthful enthusiasm, you will be able to use them better when you are older
It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it.
He who is brave is free
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.
It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness
We learn not in the school, but in life.
It is more civilized to make fun of life than to bewail it
Associate with people who are likely to improve you. Seneca
Difficulty comes from our lack of confidence
All cruelty springs from weakness. Seneca
Life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future
We learn not in the school, but in life.
What really ruins our character is the fact that none of us looks back over his life
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful
There is no genius without a touch of madness.
