Manvotional: Seneca on Dealing with Groundless FearsbyBRETT & KATE MCKAYonFEBRUARY 5, 201133 COMMENTSinA MAN'S LIFE,MANVOTIONALS

The Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote his friend Lucilius letters in which he espoused the tenets of a life aligned with Stoic ideals. These letters were compiled inEpistulae morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius). In this letter, Seneca explores the way in which a man should deal with groundless fears.

I know that you have plenty of spirit; for even before you began to equip yourself with maxims which were wholesome and potent to overcome obstacles, you were taking pride in your contest with Fortune; and this is all the more true, now that you have grappled with Fortune and tested your powers. For our powers can never inspire in us implicit faith in ourselves except when many difficulties have confronted us on this side and on that, and have occasionally even come to close quarters with us. It is only in this way that the true spirit can be tested, the spirit that will never consent to come under the jurisdiction of things external to ourselves.This is the touchstone of such a spirit; no prizefighter can go with high spirits into the strife if he has never been beaten black and blue; the only contestant who can confidently enter the lists is the man who has seen his own blood, who has felt his teeth rattle beneath his opponents fist, who has been tripped and felt the full force of his adversarys charge, who has been downed in body but not in spirit, one who, as often as he falls, rises again with greater defiance than ever. So then, to keep up my figure, Fortune has often in the past got the upper hand of you, and yet you have not surrendered, but have leaped up and stood your ground still more eagerly.For manliness gains much strength by being challenged; nevertheless, if you approve, allow me to offer some additional safeguards by which you may fortify yourself.There are more things, Lucilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us;we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.I am not speaking with you in the Stoic strain but in my milder style. For it is our Stoic fashion to speak of all those things, which provoke cries and groans, as unimportant and beneath notice; but you and I must drop such great-sounding words, although, heaven knows, they are true enough. What I advise you to do is, not to be unhappy before the crisis comes; since it may be that the dangers before which you paled as if they were threatening you, will never come upon you; they certainly have not yet come. Accordingly, some things torment us more than they ought; some torment us before they ought; and some torment us when they ought not to torment us at all.We are in the habit of exaggerating, or imagining, or anticipating, sorrow.The first of these three faultsmay be postponed for the present, because the subject is under discussion and the case is still in court, so to speak. That which I should call trifling, you will maintain to be most serious; for of course I know that some men laugh while being flogged, and that others wince at a box on the ear. We shall consider later whether these evils derive their power from their own strength, or from our own weakness.Do me the favour, when men surround you and try to talk you into believing that you are unhappy, toconsider not what you hear but what you yourself feel, and to take counsel with your feelings and question yourself independently, because you know your own affairs better than anyone else does. Ask: Is there any reason why these persons should condole with me? Why should they be worried or even fear some infection from me, as if troubles could be transmitted? Is there any evil involved, or is it a matter merely of ill report, rather than an evil? Put the question voluntarily to yourself: Am I tormented without sufficient reason, am I morose, and do I convert what is not an evil into what is an evil? You may retort with the question: How am I to know whether my sufferings are real or imaginary? Here is the rule for such matters: we are tormented either by things present, or by things to come, or by both. As to things present, the decision is easy. Suppose that your person enjoys freedom and health, and that you do not suffer from any external injury. As to what may happen to it in the future, we shall see later on. To-day there is nothing wrong with it. But, you say, something will happen to it. First of all, consider whether your proofs of future trouble are sure. For it is more often the case that we are troubled by our apprehensions, and that we are mocked by that mocker, rumour, which is wont to settle wars, but much more often settles individuals. Yes, my dear Lucilius; we agree too quickly with what people say. We do not put to the test those things which cause our fear; we do not examine into them; we blench and retreat just like soldiers who are forced to abandon their camp because of a dust-cloud raised by stampeding cattle, or are thrown into a panic by the spreading of some unauthenticated rumour. And somehow or other it is the idle report that disturbs us most. For truth has its own definite boundaries, but that which arises from uncertainty is delivered over to guesswork and the irresponsible license of a frightened mind. That is why no fear is so ruinous and so uncontrollable as panic fear. For other fears are groundless, but this fear is witless.Let us, then, look carefully into the matter. It is likely that some troubles will befall us; but it is not a present fact. How often has the unexpected happened! How often has the expected never come to pass! And even though it is ordained to be,what does it avail to run out to meet your suffering?You will suffer soon enough, when it arrives; so look forward meanwhile to better things. What shall you gain by doing this? Time. There will be many happenings meanwhile which will serve to postpone, or end, or pass on to another person, the trials which are near or even in your very presence. A fire has opened the way to flight. Men have been let down softly by a catastrophe. Sometimes the sword has been checked even at the victims throat. Men have survived their own executioners. Even bad fortune is fickle. Perhaps it will come, perhaps not; in the meantime it is not. So look forward to better things.The mind at times fashions for itself false shapes of evil when there are no signs that point to any evil; it twists into the worst construction some word of doubtful meaning; or it fancies some personal grudge to be more serious than it really is, considering not how angry the enemy is, but to what lengths he may go if he is angry.But life is not worth living, and there is no limit to our sorrows, if we indulge our fears to the greatest possible extent; in this matter, let prudence help you, and contemn with a resolute spirit even when it is in plain sight. If you cannot do this, counter one weakness with another, and temper your fear with hope. There is nothing so certain among these objects of fear that it is not more certain still that things we dread sink into nothing and that things we hope for mock usBut I am ashamed either to admonish you sternly or to try to beguile you with such mild remedies.Let another say. Perhaps the worst will not happen.You yourself must say. Well, what if it does happen? Let us see who wins!Perhaps it happens for my best interests; it may be that such a death will shed credit upon my life. Socrates was ennobled by the hemlock draught. Wrench from Catos hand his sword, the vindicator of liberty, and you deprive him of the greatest share of his glory. I am exhorting you far too long, since you need reminding rather than exhortation. The path on which I am leading you is not different from that on which your nature leads you; you were born to such conduct as I describe. Hence there is all the more reason why you should increase and beautify the good that is in you.But now, to close my letter, I have only to stamp the usual seal upon it, in other words, to commit thereto some noble message to be delivered to you: The fool, with all his other faults, has this also, he is always getting ready to live.Reflect, my esteemed Lucilius, what this saying means, and you will see how revolting is the fickleness of men who lay down every day new foundations of life, and begin to build up fresh hopes even at the brink of the grave. Look within your own mind for individual instances; you will think of old men who are preparing themselves at that very hour for a political career, or for travel, or for business. And what is baser than getting ready to live when you are already old? I should not name the author of this motto, except that it is somewhat unknown to fame and is not one of those popular sayings of Epicurus which I have allowed myself to praise and to appropriate. Farewell.{33comments read them below oradd one}1JGFebruary 5, 2011 at 11:24 pmWe suffer more often in imagination than in reality.Very true. Thank you for sharing.2ShawnFebruary 5, 2011 at 11:29 pmIn hindsight, I really could have used this last Monday. New job, new stress and the stomach churning realization that Ive stepped into something I cant handle. Along comes Seneca to remind me that maybe, just maybe, its really not as bad as it seems. And, if it is, so what. All that matters is that I get back up and brace myself with the gift of manhood. Discovering this website was one of the most fortunate accidents Ive ever been blessed with. Thank you for all you do.3RobertFebruary 6, 2011 at 1:13 amThis is great advice from Seneca. I read Senecas book a few weeks ago and loved it. Its full of great advice that you can apply to your life. Seneca was sent to an island to live alone for seven years when he wrote these letters to his friend. He conquered his fear of death, imagining the worst possible fate, and became afraid of nothing. I suggest you guys give this book a read.4E.G.February 6, 2011 at 1:36 amNice stuff.Another teacher said it more succinctly:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6:25-27&version=NIV5MaruFebruary 6, 2011 at 6:24 amThe fool, with all his other faults, has this also, he is always getting ready to live.This is so true that it is frightening. It is true of many men, and it has all too often, I am sorry to say, been true of me. So many people, from their youngest days, go through life expecting that someday their life is going to start, and great and extraordinary things will happen to them. And they pass through life, merely existing, because they are expecting it to start at some undefined point in the future. They are not living life, because they see what they have done in the past and are doing now as some kind of prologue, or perhaps even less than a prologue an introduction, or a foreword perhaps. And these poor damned souls, when they get to the end of their four-score years and ten, they think to themselves Wait, wait, I cant die now. I havent had a chance to really live. My life hasnt started yet.And there is Death himself, shaking his head at their stupidity; even he, with uncounted centuries of experience dealing with the dying, cannot laugh at this. Your life hasnt started yet, you idiot? he says to them. What do you call the last ninety years youve had on this planet? Its not my fault if you didnt have the guts to grab the brass ring, or the wits to make something of the cards that life dealt you. No, your life started long ago. Its not my fault if you were asleep at the wheel.I havent mastered this, yet, or figured it out. Im not sure I ever will completely. But I know this much: I do not want to spend another moment in that haze, that dream-state of those who go through life merely existing and never really living, never really feeling. I want to live out the rest of my four-score years and ten, and more if I am lucky enough to live so long; and when I go to my reward, I want to be able to say I was awake, and I really sucked that lemon. I want to go to my grave full of memories, and with the sense that I made something of my life. It doesnt have to be anything grand, or anything that would make me famous, but it does have to satisfy at least one person: me.6Josh SmithFebruary 6, 2011 at 8:31 amWow. Maru, you made this epic article even more worth reading in my opinion!7BillFebruary 6, 2011 at 8:41 amClassic advice thats now coming back in style:The aim of Positive Psychology is to catalyze a change in psychology from a preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building the best qualities in life. Martin SeligmanCheck out Dr. Seligman and his associates at:http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/8Mato TopeFebruary 6, 2011 at 9:04 amSage advice.Many groundless fears arise out of thinking we know what is good and what is bad for us.Id like to share the following traditional tale which illustrates the importance of staying open to our experiences and not rushing to judge them either good or bad.An old man and his son lived in an abandoned fortress on the side of a hill. Their only possession of value was a horse.One day the horse ran away. The neighbours came by to offer sympathy. Thats really bad! They said. How do you know? asked the old man.The next day the horse returned, bringing with it several wild horses. The old man shut them all inside the gate. The neighbours hurried over. Thats really good! they said. How do you know? asked the old man.The following day, the son tried riding one of the wild horses, fell off, and broke his leg. The neighbours came around as soon as they heard the news. Thats really bad! they said. How do you know? asked the old man.The day after that, the army came through, forcing the local young men to fight a faraway battle against the northern barbarians. Many of them would never return. But the son couldnt go, because hed broken his leg.9ShawnFebruary 6, 2011 at 9:16 amThis is the touchstone of such a spirit; no prizefighter can go with high spirits into the strife if he has never been beaten black and blue; the only contestant who can confidently enter the lists is the man who has seen his own blood, who has felt his teeth rattle beneath his opponents fist, who has been tripped and felt the full force of his adversarys charge, who has been downed in body but not in spirit, one who, as often as he falls, rises again with greater defiance than ever.This passage truly resonates as a strong reminder of Teddy Roosevelts speech in Paris, 1910:It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.Its my hope that every man can test himself against the fires of life and come out scathed, yet stronger for it.Best,-S10MikeFebruary 6, 2011 at 10:28 amNo prizefighter can go with high spirits into the strife if he has never been beaten black and blueSuch a great quote. Something to remember whenever you feel pain or worry.11BradFebruary 6, 2011 at 11:09 amthat which arises from uncertainty is delivered over to guesswork and the irresponsible license of a frightened mind frightening how many people live their day to day life at the mercy of an irresponsible license of a frightened mind!i also followhttp://gregghake.com/2011/02/uncorrupted-reason/thanks for the continued inspirational posts12ChristopherFebruary 6, 2011 at 11:49 amStoicism seems to be making a comeback that corresponds very closely to other awakenings in society. The Tea Party movement, Paleo/Primal fitness, Crossfit (among other fitness movements) and the resurgence of the classical in Art (Classical Realism) I believe we are returning to the very principles that make this country great, and they start right in our own minds and hearts. Thanks again AOM, for leading the way!13HarryFebruary 6, 2011 at 12:17 pmI have recently began studying the practice of Mindfulness, based on old Buddhist philosophy, and this sounds very similar, but more concrete. Good find Brett.14FranciscoFebruary 6, 2011 at 1:27 pmI am 14 years old, and this is not my first time reading an article here, but what difference in this one is that so far in tr day today. I have only been in my bed all day imagening how my life could be better. Reading this article, realize the wrong I been doing, which is staying in my bed just imagining. Thank you for posting this article. It made get up from the bed and start living life how it should be.15creestoFebruary 6, 2011 at 3:10 pmThis year we went through bankruptcy and we lost our 13 year old son to an accident while we were on vacation. Our relationship has endured and deepened, but as a man I have struggled with remaining stoic, especially after losing my best bud, my namesake, my first child, my son Ian. My tears of grief are natural, normal and part of my healing process but it is the trigger that I find myself turning over in my mind like a shiny marble. It has become challenging to recognize whether my pain is for my son or for myself. Is it the intense sadness of tragic loss or self-pity because of the horror I have endured? I bring myself back by remembering to honor my son and life. I talk of him often (usually without becoming teary) and I am mindful of his teachings every day. Great post, I shall explore deeper.16rollercoasterFebruary 6, 2011 at 3:11 pmThanks for the post. Definitely going to try to apply this to my life and those around me.17rollercoasterFebruary 6, 2011 at 3:13 pm*Correction: I WILL apply this advice to my life.18PaulFebruary 6, 2011 at 3:29 pmTo Shawn (the first commenter)Back in 2004 I took a job (the one I have now) after being out of work for two years. (I basically lost everything I owned lost my house, had a boat and a truck and money in the bank. I foolishly paid my bills before ultimately going bankrupt).When I got the job I thought it was a blessing from above. On the third day into it, I was humiliated by my manager and constantly for months (this woman could teach bitch school), and I knew I had made the wrong decision but I was desperate.I mentioned to a priest friend, that I had finally gotten work, but it turned out to be the job from hell.He looked at me square in the eyes and said to me you got that job because you were the best person qualified to do it, no other reason.I never thought about it that way. I ended up getting a new boss six months later, a great guy who appreciated everything I did. Ive been at the job 7 years now.Hang in there pal youve got what it takes!19BruciferFebruary 6, 2011 at 3:59 pmI concur that Maru has contributed a most excellent piece to this post. Thank you!20ChristopherFebruary 6, 2011 at 4:52 pm@ creesto: Even Jesus wept for Lazarus. Perhaps you do weep for yourself but thats OK. It simply demonstrates the depth of your love for your Son.21EliasFebruary 6, 2011 at 4:56 pm@Creesto Wow, that is a lot to go through, makes me feel a bit ashamed thinking of my own problems, im sorry for your loss, hope you get through it all!@Maru Your post hits way too close to heart, im guilty of doing this, hard mindset to get out of.22JeffCFebruary 6, 2011 at 7:05 pm@ Paul: you posted I foolishly paid my bills before ultimately going bankrupt.I understand the practical sentiment, but youre a man for having paid your bills. Period. I admire you for that, and you should see that as the action of a responsible man. You owed, and you paid. You lived by your standards. Hold your head high, and and dont listen to friends who suggest you would have been better off had you done differently. You might have had a few more dollars, but how would you enjoy that money if you had to live with yourself, knowing you failed to live up to your own standard of honesty?Dont think of this as some absurd twist of karma, as if doing the right thingshould haveguaranteed benefit for you. That will lead to bitterness, and the adult inside you says that attitude is foolish. This situation was a test of character, and you got an A.Walk away with that. And the next time you step into the ring, you will be able to smile, because youve been beaten black and blue, and you know it doesnt kill you. Let life pound away.With admiration,Jeff23AlanFebruary 6, 2011 at 8:59 pmHi Brett and Kate,Great website!Ive been reading it for quite some time now.However I think it would be a good idea if there was an area on the website for readers to list some suggestions and ideas for new topics ye could cover?It might give ye some inspiration and also give readers an opinion on what they might like to see posted in the future?Some random ideas that I can think of are:DIY projects,car maintenance,oil change,spark plugs,plumbing,electrics,carpentry,tiling etc,hunting,simple navigational skills,astronemy,World Wars,music,dreams,self esteem,time managment,anxiety,card games,card tricks,pub tricks,krav maga??????yours sincerely,Alan B24MikeFebruary 6, 2011 at 10:19 pmThis just again proves that it is the most simple truths that are true: Imagination torments us more than reality.This reminds me of this past summer when I studied abroad in Italy. In the days leading up to my departure I was filled with anxiety of traveling, leaving behind my friends and family from home during one of only times of the year I see them and having to meet a slew of new people going on the trip, in addition to an ex-roommate who there was some bad blood with. I was even starting to think I should back out that I became so worried.Even once I we arrived in Italy and checked into the college we were staying at I remember dropping off my luggage in my room, walking out the door to goto an orientation meeting and stopping in the stairwell just filled terror. What the fuck am I doing here, Id rather be home,with my friends, somewhere predictable and comfortable, this is going to be hell.This mindset lasted for little more than a few hours. That night all of us who were on the trip walked to the small town we were near and went to the bars. Some drinks later and I realized I was having the time of my life. Everyone on the trip had something about them that was truly unique and good, the local people were kind and welcoming, our professor was a very down to earth man and class mostly consisted of us just talking about whatever we wanted (in Italian of course). I conversed with locals and my Italian became better in 6 weeks than it had the entire year I studied it at my university. I met people that made lasting impressions on me, made friends that I still talk to, and even made good with my ex-roommate. It was truly a life changing experience.Now, when I feel anxious about going into any situation I think back to that pang of fear and terror I felt in the that stairwell in Italy and remind myself that that pang of terror was the starting point of one of the single most positive experiences of my life.25MaruFebruary 7, 2011 at 1:49 amThank you for your praise, Josh. It makes me happy to know that my writing makes for pleasant reading. Ive got a long way to go yet, but the fact that I can write it out tells me that Im starting to get there. The next thing is applying it. That, of course, is where the really heavy lifting starts.All the best, and good luck applying this to you, Brett, and everyone else here.26NickFebruary 7, 2011 at 11:23 amGreat information, thanks for postingthe highlights were perfect. Ive read some of Seneca writings before, but it really helps me to focus on smaller pieces of his writing.@Maruthe quote you expounded on definitely had the greatest impact on me as well. Thank you for your thoughts on this post. The passionate tone of your writing was spot-on for this topic. You should turn that into a full post, and send it inI mean, what are you waiting for :) ?27Flaviu SimihaianFebruary 7, 2011 at 5:40 pmGreat post. I am a fan of Stoicism also, and have recently made a podcast about Senecas Letters. If you have a chance to listen to it, let me know what you think:http://readncode.com/podcast/seneca-and-the-zen-of-python28rogerFebruary 8, 2011 at 6:39 pmIsnt it strange that despite the distants time puts between us and the days of Seneca only the trappings of our surroundings have changed. We are still at times governed by the same emotions and find ourselves in the same situations as people in ancient times. These words could have been written yesterday when one considers the force they carry. These are not the words of a person who is looking towards a non-existant being for help, but instead tells us to reach into ourselves to find the way to solve the problems before us. Seneca says we suffer more often in imagination than reality. How very true this statement trully is.29MaimnidesFebruary 10, 2011 at 11:59 amDo you mean the Cordoban Stoic Philosopher?30Darrius AntonopoulosFebruary 10, 2011 at 4:26 pmThis is great-much needed- thanks31James YarbroughFebruary 11, 2011 at 8:54 amA great reminder to not whine about your life but to live it like it will end at any minute.32jordan wFebruary 24, 2011 at 1:11 amfunny coincidenceGreat Zamboni also mentioned Seneca in the latest message on his blog.. and the amazing Flo from the Alice sitcom of course you see the connection right?thanks for your article-great Z

Lucius Annaeus Seneca quotes(showing 1-30 of 234)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 greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:attitude,gratitude,happiness,inspirational-quotes,satisfaction382 people liked itlikeSometimes even to live is an act of courage.Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:perseverance,suicide,survival374 people liked itlikeLuck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:inspirational283 people liked itlikeIt is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:inspirational,overcoming-fear194 people liked itlikeAd astra per aspera. (To the stars through difficulties.)Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:fear,hope,humanity,life170 people liked itlikeAll cruelty springs from weakness.Lucius Annaeus Seneca,Seneca's Morals: Of a Happy Life, Benefits, Anger and Clemencytags:behavior,character,cruelty,weakness157 people liked itlikeReligion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:organized-religion,religion148 people liked itlikeAs is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:inspirational140 people liked itlikeDifficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:adversity,challenges,character,inspirational131 people liked itlikeIt is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.Lucius Annaeus Seneca,The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca: Essays and Letterstags:consicousness,dissociation,mind,stoicism,transcendence,zen86 people liked itlikeNon est ad astra mollis e terris via" - "There is no easy way from the earth to the starsLucius Annaeus Senecatags:latin,philosophy,stars84 people liked itlikeNo man was ever wise by chanceLucius Annaeus Senecatags:philosophy70 people liked itlikeBegin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.Lucius Annaeus Seneca69 people liked itlikeI shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good.Lucius Annaeus Seneca68 people liked itlikeIf a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:goals66 people liked itlikeLife is like a play: it's not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters.Lucius Annaeus Senecatags:inspirational,life63 people liked itlikeYou act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desireLucius Annaeus Seneca,On the Shortness of Life62 people liked itlikeHe who is brave is freeLucius Annaeus Senecatags:bravery,freedom,gallantry53 people liked itlikeWealth is the slave of a wise man. The master of a fool Lucius Annaeus Seneca,Moral Essays, Volume I: de Providentia. de Constantia. de IRA. de Clementiatags:wealth51 people liked itlikeIt is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. Lucius Annaeus Seneca51 people liked itlikeFate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant.Lucius Annaeus Seneca50 people liked itlikeMost powerful is he who has himself in his own power.Lucius Annaeus Seneca47 people liked itlikeOnly time can heal what reason cannot.Lucius Annaeus Seneca47 people liked itlikeThe sun also shines on the wicked.Lucius Annaeus Seneca47 people liked itlikeIf anyone says that the best life of all is to sail the sea, and then adds that I must not sail upon a sea where shipwrecks are a common occurrence and there are often sudden storms that sweep the helmsman in an adverse direction, I conclude that this man, although he lauds navigation, really forbids me to launch my ship.Lucius Annaeus Seneca,The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca: Essays and Letterstags:education,hypocrisy,pith44 people liked itlikeThey lose the day in expectation of the night, and the night in fear of the dawn.Lucius Annaeus Seneca,On the Shortness of Life44 people liked itlikeFor what prevents us from saying that the happy life is to have a mind that is free, lofty, fearless and steadfast - a mind that is placed beyond the reach of fear, beyond the reach of desire, that counts virtue the only good, baseness the only evil, and all else but a worthless mass of things, which come and go without increasing or diminishing the highest good, and neither subtract any part from the happy life nor add any part to it?A man thus grounded must, whether he wills or not, necessarily be attended by constant cheerfulness and a joy that is deep and issues from deep within, since he finds delight in his own resources, and desires no joys greater than his inner joys.Lucius Annaeus Seneca,The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca: Essays and Letterstags:anthem,happiness,intrisic-motivation,stoicism43 people liked itlikeHe suffers more than necessary, who suffers before it is necessary.Lucius Annaeus Seneca42 people liked itlikeTimendi causa est nescire -Ignorance is the cause of fear.Lucius Annaeus Seneca,Natural Questionstags:fear,ignorance,knowledge,life39 people liked itlikeA sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand.Lucius Annaeus Seneca