Plain
Seneca — The Senator

Some things can't hurt us at all. Their power only brings good and healing — like the immortal gods. They don't want to harm us, and they can't. Their nature is gentle and peaceful. They're no more likely to hurt others than they are to hurt themselves. Foolish people who don't understand the truth blame the gods for storms at sea, too much rain, and harsh winters. But these natural events that help us or hurt us happen without any thought of us. The universe doesn't create summer and winter for our sake. These seasons follow their own laws. They perform their divine functions according to their own nature.

On Anger, Book 2, Section 27 Book 2 · 66 of 103
Freedom & Control Human Nature
Seneca — The Senator Original

There are some things which are unable to hurt us, and whose power is exclusively beneficial and salutary, as, for example, the immortal gods, who neither wish nor are able to do harm: for their temperament is naturally gentle and tranquil, and no more likely to wrong others than to wrong themselves. Foolish people who know not the truth hold them answerable for storms at sea, excessive rain, and long winters, whereas all the while these phenomena by which we suffer or profit take place without any reference whatever to us: it is not for our sake that the universe causes summer and winter to succeed one another; these have a law of their own, according to which their divine functions are performed.

On Anger, Book 2, Section 27 Book 2 · 66 of 103
Seneca — The Senator

It's crazy to get angry at things that can't think. It's just as crazy to get angry at animals. Animals can't do us wrong because they can't make plans to hurt us. We can only call something "wrong" when someone does it on purpose. Animals can hurt us, sure — just like a sword or stone can hurt us. But they can't actually wrong us. Yet some people feel insulted when a horse that's calm with one rider acts up with another. They think the horse chose to be difficult, instead of understanding that some riders are just better at handling horses than others. It's foolish to be angry with animals. It's just as foolish to be angry with children, or with adults who think like children. Before any fair judge, ignorance would excuse these people just as much as innocence would.

On Anger, Book 2, Section 26 Book 2 · 65 of 103
Calm Your Mind Human Nature
Seneca — The Senator Original

Yet as it is the act of a madman to be angry with inanimate objects, so also is it to be angry with dumb animals, which can do us no wrong because they are not able to form a purpose; and we cannot call anything a wrong unless it be done intentionally. They are, therefore, able to hurt us, just as a sword or a stone may do so, but they are not able to do us a wrong. Yet some men think themselves insulted when the same horses which are docile with one rider are restive with another, as though it were through their deliberate choice, and not through habit and cleverness of handling that some horses are more easily managed by some men than by others. And as it is foolish to be angry with them, so it is to be angry with children, and with men who have little more sense than children: for all these sins, before a just judge, ignorance would be as effective an excuse as innocence.

On Anger, Book 2, Section 26 Book 2 · 65 of 103
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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