Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: King Cambyses was excessively addicted to wine.…
King Cambyses was excessively addicted to wine. Praexaspes was the only one of his closest friends who advised him to drink more sparingly, pointing out how shameful a thing drunkenness was in a king, upon whom all eyes and ears were fixed.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
Telling the truth to a powerful person is risky, but silence has risks too. The adviser in this story warns a king about his drinking because a leader's failures are never entirely private. The more influence you have, the more your habits set a standard for everyone watching. That applies to a CEO, a coach, a parent, or anyone who is the emotional center of a room. If you are close to someone with power, courage may mean offering a respectful warning instead of flattering them. If you hold power, make it safe for people to do that. Ask for the criticism you would rather avoid. A life surrounded by agreement is not evidence that you are always right; it may be evidence that people are afraid. Good judgment needs people willing to tell us when our behavior is becoming dangerous.
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