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Moral Letters Vol II

Seneca

§ Section 2

On business as the enemy of philosophy

72:2

Book Subtitle: Seneca's timeless letters of advice and wisdom.

Book Description: The second volume of Seneca's moral letters to Lucilius. Each letter contains Seneca's advice and wisdom won from a life of Roman politics.

2.

For there are certain subjects about which you can write even while travelling in a gig, and there are also subjects which need a study-chair, and quiet, and seclusion.

Nevertheless I ought to accomplish something even on days like these,—days which are fully employed, and indeed from morning till night.

For there is never a moment when fresh employments will not come along; we sow them, and for this reason several spring up from one.

Then, too, we keep adjourning our own cases, saying: “As soon as I am done with this, I shall settle down to hard work,” or: “If I ever set this troublesome matter in order, I shall devote myself to study.”