Plain
Seneca — The Senator

You sit around playing with your wealth and don't see the dangers coming. You're like those primitive people who get besieged by an enemy army. They don't understand siege weapons, so they just watch the attackers building their machines in the distance. They have no idea what's about to hit them. That's exactly what you're doing. You fall asleep counting your money and never think about all the disasters lurking around you, ready to steal your precious things. But here's the difference: if you take wealth away from a wise person, you still leave them with everything that truly belongs to them. They live happily in the present and aren't afraid of the future.

On the Happy Life, Section 26 91 of 101
Freedom & Control What Matters Most
Seneca — The Senator Original

You sit idly playing with your wealth and do not foresee the perils in store for it, as savages generally do when besieged, for, not understanding the use of siege artillery, they look on idly at the labours of the besiegers and do not understand the object of the machines which they are putting together at a distance: and this is exactly what happens to you: you go to sleep over your property, and never reflect how many misfortunes loom menacingly around you on all sides, and soon will plunder you of costly spoils, but if one takes away riches from the wise man, one leaves him still in possession of all that is his: for he lives happy in the present, and without fear for the future.

On the Happy Life, Section 26 91 of 101
Seneca — The Senator

No general trusts peace so completely that he stops preparing for war. War might never come, but it's already been declared. You get arrogant about your beautiful house, as if it could never burn down or collapse. Wealth makes you dizzy, as if your riches were safe from all danger. As if they were so vast that Fortune herself couldn't destroy them.

On the Happy Life, Section 26 90 of 101
Freedom & Control What Matters Most
Seneca — The Senator Original

No general ever trusts so implicitly in the maintenance of peace as not to make himself ready for a war, which, though it may not actually be waged, has nevertheless been declared; you are rendered over-proud by a fine house, as though it could never be burned or fall down, and your heads are turned by riches as though they were beyond the reach of all dangers and were so great that Fortune has not sufficient strength to swallow them up.

On the Happy Life, Section 26 90 of 101
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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