We should every night call ourselves to an account: What infirmity have I mastered today? What passions opposed! What temptation resisted? What virtue acquired?
Seneca The ElderRead
It is a great thing to know the season for speech and the season for silence.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Knowing when to speak and when to remain silent is essential for wisdom and effective communication.
This quote by Seneca the Elder emphasizes the importance of understanding the appropriate timing for speech and silence. It suggests that wisdom lies not just in what is said, but in recognizing when it is best to listen or remain quiet, allowing for more meaningful interactions and thoughtful responses.
Themes
WisdomSilenceCommunicationSpeechTiming
In practice
Example use cases
A mentor sharing this quote at a leadership workshop to highlight effective communication skills.
More from Seneca The Elder
All quotes βWe can be thankful to a friend for a few acres or a little money; and yet for the freedom and command of the whole earth, and for the great benefits of our being, our life, health, and reason, we look upon ourselves as under no obligation.
Seneca The ElderRead
True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing.
Seneca The ElderRead
The sun also shines on the wicked.
Seneca The ElderRead
Let us be brave in the face of adversity.
Seneca The ElderRead
The courts of kings are full of people, but empty of friends.
Seneca The ElderRead
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What is the next step, the practical application? βI will answer that the absolutely vital thing is to consolidate your understanding, to become capable of enjoyment, of living in the present, and of the discipline which this involves. Without this you have nothing to give.
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