Plain
Seneca — The Senator

Let's say your life has become full of trouble. Without realizing it, you've fallen into a trap that either public or private fortune has set for you. You can't untie it or break free. Remember this: prisoners suffer greatly at first from the chains and weights on their legs. But later, when they decide to stop fighting against them and just endure them, necessity teaches them to bear the burden bravely. Habit teaches them to bear it easily. In every situation in life, you will find amusements, relaxations, and enjoyments — as long as you're willing to make light of your troubles rather than hate them.

On Peace of Mind, Section 10 55 of 100
Facing Hardship Freedom & Control
Seneca — The Senator Original

Suppose, however, that your life has become full of trouble, and that without knowing what you were doing you have fallen into some snare which either public or private Fortune has set for you, and that you can neither untie it nor break it: then remember that fettered men suffer much at first from the burdens and clogs upon their legs: afterwards, when they have made up their minds not to fret themselves about them, but to endure them, necessity teaches them to bear them bravely, and habit to bear them easily. In every station of life you will find amusements, relaxations, and enjoyments; that is, provided you be willing to make light of evils rather than to hate them.

On Peace of Mind, Section 10 55 of 100
Seneca — The Senator

So get as many books as you want, but don't get them just to show off. "It's more respectable," you say, "to spend money on books than on bronze vases and paintings." Not really. Anything taken to extremes is wrong. What excuse is there for someone who buys fancy ivory and citrus wood bookcases, collects works by unknown or terrible authors, and then sits yawning among thousands of books? The spines and titles please him more than anything inside them. So in the homes of the laziest people, you'll see all the great speeches and histories stacked on shelves reaching to the ceiling. Today a library has become as essential to a house as hot and cold running water. I'd forgive them if they were truly carried away by love of literature. But they're not. These expensive works of genius, with all their beautiful illustrations, are just bought for display — fancy wallpaper.

On Peace of Mind, Section 9 54 of 100
What Matters Most Knowing Yourself
Seneca — The Senator Original

Let a man, then, obtain as many books as he wants, but none for show. "It is more respectable," say you, "to spend one's money on such books than on vases of Corinthian brass and paintings." Not so: everything that is carried to excess is wrong. What excuses can you find for a man who is eager to buy bookcases of ivory and citrus wood, to collect the works of unknown or discredited authors, and who sits yawning amid so many thousands of books, whose backs and titles please him more than any other part of them? Thus in the houses of the laziest of men you will see the works of all the orators and historians stacked upon book-shelves reaching right up to the ceiling. At the present day a library has become as necessary an appendage to a house as a hot and cold bath. I would excuse them straightway if they really were carried away by an excessive zeal for literature; but as it is, these costly works of sacred genius, with all the illustrations that adorn them, are merely bought for display and to serve as wall-furniture.

On Peace of Mind, Section 9 54 of 100
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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