Plain
Seneca — The Senator

The wise person won't hate himself for being short, but he'd still rather be tall. Even if he's weak and missing an eye, he can still be healthy overall. But he'd prefer to have physical strength too. He knows he has something more powerful than strength, yet he'd still want it. He'll endure sickness and hope for good health. Some things don't matter much compared to what's truly important. You can lose them without losing the main good. But they do add a little something to the steady happiness that comes from virtue.

On the Happy Life, Section 22 71 of 101
Facing Hardship What Matters Most
Seneca — The Senator Original

The wise man will not despise himself, however short of stature he may be, but nevertheless he will wish to be tall: even though he be feeble and one-eyed he may be in good health, yet he would prefer to have bodily strength, and that too, while he knows all the while that he has something which is even more powerful: he will endure illness, and will hope for good health: for some things, though they may be trifles compared with the sum total, and though they may be taken away without destroying the chief good, yet add somewhat to that constant cheerfulness which arises from virtue.

On the Happy Life, Section 22 71 of 101
Seneca — The Senator

No one can doubt that a wise man has more room to develop his abilities when he's rich than when he's poor. If he's poor, the only virtue he can show is not letting poverty corrupt him or break his spirit. But if he has money, he has plenty of chances to practice self-control, generosity, hard work, good organization, and greatness of character.

On the Happy Life, Section 22 70 of 101
Knowing Yourself What Matters Most
Seneca — The Senator Original

Who can doubt, however, that the wise man, if he is rich, has a wider field for the development of his powers than if he is poor, seeing that in the latter case the only virtue which he can display is that of neither being perverted nor crushed by his poverty, whereas if he has riches, he will have a wide field for the exhibition of temperance, generosity, laboriousness, methodical arrangement, and grandeur.

On the Happy Life, Section 22 70 of 101
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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