Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: Nothing is more unjust than that any one should…
Nothing is more unjust than that any one should inherit the quarrels of his father. Whenever we are loth to pardon any one, let us think whether it would be to our advantage that all men should be inexorable.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
You are not obligated to continue every conflict you inherited. Families pass down grudges, workplaces preserve old rivalries, and online communities train us to hate people we have never met because “our side” does. Seneca reminds us that another person's quarrel is not automatically your duty. Before you carry it forward, ask what it costs and whom it serves. Forgiveness does not mean denying harm or pretending trust is instantly restored. It means refusing to make vengeance your inheritance. It also requires humility: each of us benefits from people who do not judge us by our worst moment forever. Today, identify one resentment that may have been handed to you—a family story, a team feud, a political reflex. Pause before repeating it. Decide what you yourself have seen, what boundary is needed, and what you are ready to stop carrying.
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