Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.
Seneca The YoungerRead
The pleasures of the palate deal with us like Egyptian thieves who strangle those whom they embrace.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Sensory pleasures can be deceptive and often lead to negative consequences.
In this quote, Seneca The Younger compares the seductive nature of sensory pleasures, especially related to food and taste, to the actions of Egyptian thieves who, while appearing to embrace their victims, ultimately lead them to ruin. This serves as a cautionary reminder that indulgence in immediate pleasures can result in harmful outcomes, suggesting the importance of moderation and self-control.
Themes
PleasureSelf-ControlIndulgenceWisdomDeception
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about healthy eating habits, one might say, 'As Seneca states, the pleasures of the palate can deceive us, leading to unhealthy indulgence.'
More from Seneca The Younger
All quotes βNo tree becomes rooted and sturdy unless many a wind assails it. For by its very tossing it tightens its grip and plants its roots more securely; the fragile trees are those that have grown in a sunny valley.
Seneca The YoungerRead
Slavery takes hold of few, but many take hold of slavery.
Seneca The YoungerRead
To be able to endure odium is the first art to be learned by those who aspire to power.
Seneca The YoungerRead
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.
Seneca The YoungerRead
Loyalty is the holiest good in the human heart.
Seneca The YoungerRead
Similar quotes
I could do one show after another in China for the rest of my life and still die ignorant. There's a lot of places left to go.
Anthony BourdainRead
Mishaps are like knives, that either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle.
James Russell LowellRead
Do not be jealous of others' good qualities, but out of admiration adopt them yourself.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Virtue knows that it is impossible to get on without compromise, and tunes herself, as it were, a trifle sharp to allow for an inevitable fall in playing.
Samuel ButlerRead
We both (Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett) insist on a lot of time being available almost every day to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. We read and think.
Charlie MungerRead
Envy and greed starve on a steady diet of thanksgiving.
Billy GrahamRead