Seneca, Moral Letters 14.4

Let us, therefore, see to it that we abstain from giving offense. 

 

It is sometimes the people that we ought to fear; or sometimes a body of influential oligarchs in the Senate, if the method of governing the State is such that most of the business is done by that body; and sometimes individuals equipped with power by the people and against the people. It is burdensome to keep the friendship of all such persons; it is enough not to make enemies of them. 

 

So the wise man will never provoke the anger of those in power; no, he will even turn his course, precisely as he would turn from a storm if he were steering a ship.

 

At first, this may seem a bit confusing. On the one hand, I am to believe that courage is an essential Stoic virtue, that I should be willing to face any obstacle to do what is right, and yet on the other hand, I am now told that it is best to duck and cover, to avoid any danger to begin with. Which is it? 

 

As I have found time and time again, I am seeing a contradiction where none is present, because I am not looking at the problem in the higher context of virtue as my responsibility. There is a world of difference between doing what is necessary and seeking out quite unnecessary conflicts for myself. 

 

I must surely act with courage when painful things happen to me, though it is self-destructive to stir up painful things that hardly need to happen. 

 

Why poke at the hornet’s nest when I could just as easily walk around it? The prudent man confronts trouble with principle, but he first prefers to stay out of trouble. 

 

How can I discern that difference, especially in the heat of the moment? My own motives will often give me a sign. I ought to distinguish between acting from conscience, where I am in service to what is right, and acting from pride, where I am expecting to be served by making a scene. To use the old phrase, it is like the contrast between ending a fight and picking a fight. 

 

I will indeed come across some people who hold a resentment against me, for whatever reason, and it will do me no good to urge them along. Most people, however, will be quite oblivious to me, unless, of course, I deliberately point to something about myself that offends them. There is no bravery in painting a target on my back. 

 

I must be wary of the will of the mob, because it is easily inflamed and hardily resistant to reason. 

 

The rich and powerful are used to having their way, and in many cases I can let them continue with their follies, since they are of no value to me. 

 

The bureaucrats and holders of high office like to feel important, so let them parade about. I do not have to seek their approval. 

 

Let me offer friendship to all, but let me not think that they will be friends in return, or that I can please all of the people all of the time. If I must stand up to them, I had better be sure that I am fighting for something worthwhile, where my character itself is at stake, not my vanity. 

 

Pick your battles, in the knowledge that, unlike the agile and wiry cat, you have only one life to live. Or, to mix my animal metaphors, let those sleeping dogs lie. 

Written in 6/2012