Category Archives: quotes

I love quotes!

Today’s Quote: Plutarch (+ bonus rant!)

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“The Emperor Augustus once caught sight of some wealthy foreigners in Rome, who were carrying about young monkeys and puppies in their arms and caressing them with a great show of affection. We are told that he then asked whether the women in those countries did not bear children, thus rebuking in truly Imperial fashion those who squander upon animals that capacity for love and affection which in the natural order of things should be reserved for our fellow men.”

— Plutarch, from the Parallel Lives – Pericles

And now for my rant…

This is precisely what I think whenever I’m out and about and have to put up with someone’s infernal, yapping dog at a restaurant; or when I see photos of pets dressed up in the most ridiculous—not to say expensive-looking—costumes; or when I read about luxury pet spas complete with designer bedding and gourmet chefs. Amtrak can’t seem to run a railroad properly, what with abysmal on-time records and fatal train crashes, but they sure were happy to announce their new program allowing passengers to bring their pets along—wonderful for people like me with dog allergies.

Now, pets are perfectly fine. As those of you who’ve been reading me well know, I’m a cat person and had two cats: Victoria for 15 years and Max for 19 years. I have no pets at the moment for a variety of reasons, and sometimes I miss having them around.

But remember: they’re pets and just animals. Shouldn’t we be spending our real love, devotion and treasure upon our fellow men?

Today’s Quote: Seneca

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“It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow the accomplishment of the very greatest things if the whole of it is well invested. But when it is squandered in luxury and carelessness, when it is devoted to no good end, forced at last by the ultimate necessity we perceive that it has passed away before we were aware that it was passing. So it is—the life we receive is not short, but we make it so, nor do we have any lack of it, but are wasteful of it. Just as great and princely wealth is scattered in a moment when it comes into the hands of a bad owner, while wealth however limited, if it is entrusted to a good guardian, increases by use, so our life is amply long for him who orders it properly.

“Why do we complain of Nature? She has shown herself kindly; life, if you know how to use it, is long.”

— Seneca, Liber X: Ad Paulinum De Brevitate Vitae

Today’s Quote: Seneca

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“Hold fast, then, to this sound and wholesome rule of life; that you indulge the body only so far as is needful for good health. The body should be treated more rigorously, that it may not be disobedient to the mind. Eat merely to relieve your hunger; drink merely to quench your thirst; dress merely to keep out the cold; house yourself merely as a protection against personal discomfort.”

— Seneca, Epistle VIII

Today’s Quote: Seneca…uh…Socrates…

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“Why do you wonder that globe-trotting does not help you, seeing that you always take yourself with you? The reason which set you wandering is ever at your heels.”

— Seneca quoting Socrates, Epistle XXVIII On Travel as a Cure for Discontent

So—traveling in and of itself will not change a person.

By the way, you’ll be seeing lots of quotes from Seneca for a while since I’ve been reading my way through his complete works. He’s probably my favorite of the ancient Stoics—with plenty of wisdom that’s applicable for our time.