On Anger, Book 1, Section 6 — In Plain English

Seneca — The Senator

"What then? Isn't correction sometimes necessary?" Of course it is. But we need to use judgment, not anger. Good correction doesn't harm — it heals while appearing to hurt. We heat crooked spear shafts to straighten them. We force them with wedges. But we're not trying to break them — we're trying to get the bends out. In the same way, we apply pain to the body or mind to fix habits that vice has twisted out of shape. A doctor starts with mild problems by making small changes first. He adjusts his patient's food, drink, and exercise. He improves health just by changing the order of these things. Next, he sees if changing the amounts will help.

Seneca — The Senator Original

“What, then? Is not correction sometimes necessary?” Of course it is; but with discretion, not with anger; for it does not injure, but heals under the guise of injury. We char crooked spearshafts to straighten them, and force them by driving in wedges, not in order to break them, but to take the bends out of them; and, in like manner, by applying pain to the body or mind we correct dispositions which have been rendered crooked by vice. So the physician at first, when dealing with slight disorders, tries not to make much change in his patient’s daily habits, to regulate his food, drink, and exercise, and to improve his health merely by altering the order in which he takes them. The next step is to see whether an alteration in their amount will be of service.