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Moral Letters Vol II

Seneca

§ Section 30

On liberal and vocational studies

88:30

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.

30.

Kindliness forbids you to be over-bearing towards your associates, and it forbids you to be grasping.

In words and in deeds and in feelings it shows itself gentle and courteous to all men.

It counts no evil as another’s solely.

And the reason why it loves its own good is chiefly because it will some day be the good of another.

Do “liberal studies” teach a man such character as this?

No; no more than they teach simplicity, moderation and self-restraint, thrift and economy, and that kindliness which spares a neighbour’s life as if it were one’s own and knows that it is not for man to make wasteful use of his fellow-man.