"But," you say, "he thinks ill of evil men."
Well, so do evil men themselves; and there is no worse penalty for vice than the fact that it is dissatisfied with itself and all its fellows.
"But he hates those who make an ungoverned use of great power suddenly acquired."
I retort that he will do the same thing as soon as he acquires the same powers. In the case of many men, their vices, being powerless, escape notice; although, as soon as the persons in question have become satisfied with their own strength, the vices will be no less daring than those which prosperity has already disclosed. These men simply lack the means whereby they may unfold their wickedness.
Similarly, one can handle even a poisonous snake while it is stiff with cold; the poison is not lacking; it is merely numbed into inaction.
In the case of many men, their cruelty, ambition, and indulgence only lack the favor of Fortune to make them dare crimes that would match the worst. That their wishes are the same you will in a moment discover, in this way: give them the power equal to their wishes.
Well, so do evil men themselves; and there is no worse penalty for vice than the fact that it is dissatisfied with itself and all its fellows.
"But he hates those who make an ungoverned use of great power suddenly acquired."
I retort that he will do the same thing as soon as he acquires the same powers. In the case of many men, their vices, being powerless, escape notice; although, as soon as the persons in question have become satisfied with their own strength, the vices will be no less daring than those which prosperity has already disclosed. These men simply lack the means whereby they may unfold their wickedness.
Similarly, one can handle even a poisonous snake while it is stiff with cold; the poison is not lacking; it is merely numbed into inaction.
In the case of many men, their cruelty, ambition, and indulgence only lack the favor of Fortune to make them dare crimes that would match the worst. That their wishes are the same you will in a moment discover, in this way: give them the power equal to their wishes.
—from Seneca, Moral Letters 42
I cringe at the number of times I have attached myself to a person simply because he said he disliked the same people I did—there’s a certain deceptive comfort in feeling one is part of a special club. It did not occur to me at the time that this may just have meant that he also didn’t much like himself.
I still tend to think of those consumed by wickedness as satisfied with their gains, however ill-gotten, but I forget that their vices are the symptoms of a deep discontent, and they are merely very skilled at putting on a show. A man who despises scoundrels can just as well be a scoundrel himself.
I should not underestimate the capacity of people to craft an appealing image of themselves, and how readily we are willing to fall for such trickery. It is incredibly clever of the grasping man to stand against the rich and powerful, when it is merely his ultimate goal to replace them.
While a man may not yet be committing evil deeds, he may simply be lacking the opportunity to do so. I know a fellow who remains the perfect gentleman until he is offered the chance to bet in a card game. I, for one, am a model of sobriety until you place a fifth of Irish whiskey on the table right in front of me.
To get a better sense of someone’s character, it is necessary to look beyond what he happens to be saying or doing at this moment, and to consider the deeper merit of his motives. Look at the why behind the actions, not just at what is currently appealing in the actions.
A drowsy snake on a chilly day still retains both the ability and the instinct to bite.
He may call me a friend today, but will my usefulness to him pass by tomorrow? Will the smiles now be replaced by scowls later? If I judge too quickly, as it seems Lucilius is doing, I will only have myself to blame for not taking the time to carefully read the signs. The difference between an unassuming everyman and a brutal tyrant can be as simple as a lucky break.
I get too caught up in all this play-acting, forgetting how the only value that counts is the sincerity of my own convictions. Once I am involved in making deals and forging alliances with the shifty folks, I have abandoned the very virtues I wish to hold dear. The end is not “winning” the race at any cost, the end is rather running the race with as much dignity and honor as I can muster.
I cringe at the number of times I have attached myself to a person simply because he said he disliked the same people I did—there’s a certain deceptive comfort in feeling one is part of a special club. It did not occur to me at the time that this may just have meant that he also didn’t much like himself.
I still tend to think of those consumed by wickedness as satisfied with their gains, however ill-gotten, but I forget that their vices are the symptoms of a deep discontent, and they are merely very skilled at putting on a show. A man who despises scoundrels can just as well be a scoundrel himself.
I should not underestimate the capacity of people to craft an appealing image of themselves, and how readily we are willing to fall for such trickery. It is incredibly clever of the grasping man to stand against the rich and powerful, when it is merely his ultimate goal to replace them.
While a man may not yet be committing evil deeds, he may simply be lacking the opportunity to do so. I know a fellow who remains the perfect gentleman until he is offered the chance to bet in a card game. I, for one, am a model of sobriety until you place a fifth of Irish whiskey on the table right in front of me.
To get a better sense of someone’s character, it is necessary to look beyond what he happens to be saying or doing at this moment, and to consider the deeper merit of his motives. Look at the why behind the actions, not just at what is currently appealing in the actions.
A drowsy snake on a chilly day still retains both the ability and the instinct to bite.
He may call me a friend today, but will my usefulness to him pass by tomorrow? Will the smiles now be replaced by scowls later? If I judge too quickly, as it seems Lucilius is doing, I will only have myself to blame for not taking the time to carefully read the signs. The difference between an unassuming everyman and a brutal tyrant can be as simple as a lucky break.
I get too caught up in all this play-acting, forgetting how the only value that counts is the sincerity of my own convictions. Once I am involved in making deals and forging alliances with the shifty folks, I have abandoned the very virtues I wish to hold dear. The end is not “winning” the race at any cost, the end is rather running the race with as much dignity and honor as I can muster.
—Reflection written in 1/2013
No comments:
Post a Comment