On Anger, Book 2, Section 28 — In Plain English

Seneca — The Senator

Who can honestly say they've never broken any laws? Even if someone could make that claim, what a thin kind of innocence that would be — just staying innocent by the letter of the law. The rules of duty go so much further than legal rules! How many things does the law never mention that are still demanded by love for family, kindness, generosity, fairness, and honor? Yet we can't even guarantee we meet that first, narrowest definition of innocence. We have done wrong things, thought wrong things, wished for wrong things, and encouraged wrong things. Sometimes we've only stayed innocent because we failed at doing the wrong thing we wanted to do.

Seneca — The Senator Original

Who is there that can declare himself to have broken no laws? Even if there be such a man, what a stinted innocence it is, merely to be innocent by the letter of the law. How much further do the rules of duty extend than those of the law! how many things which are not to be found in the statute book, are demanded by filial feeling, kindness, generosity, equity, and honour? Yet we are not able to warrant ourselves even to come under that first narrowest definition of innocence: we have done what was wrong, thought what was wrong, wished for what was wrong, and encouraged what was wrong: in some cases we have only remained innocent because we did not succeed.