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Moral Letters Vol III

Seneca

§ Section 23

On instinct in animals

121:23

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

Book Description: The final volume of Seneca's moral letters. Common Stoic themes emerge again and again: the unreliability of fortune, the ability to form Stoic resolve, and the importance of virtue.

23.

This art is born, not taught; and for this reason no animal is more skilled than any other.

You will notice that all spider-webs are equally fine, and that the openings in all honeycomb cells are identical in shape.

Whatever art communicates is uncertain and uneven; but Nature’s assignments are always uniform.

Nature has communicated nothing except the duty of taking care of themselves and the skill to do so; that is why living and learning begin at the same time.