Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: Pray, Alexander, what is the difference between…
Pray, Alexander, what is the difference between your throwing Lysimachus into a lion’s den and tearing his flesh with your own teeth? it is you that have the lion’s maw, and the lion’s fierceness. How pleased you would be if you had claws instead of nails, and jaws that were capable of devouring men!
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
Cruelty does not become civilized because it is carried out through an institution, a policy, or someone else’s hands. If you use your authority to corner, humiliate, or ruin someone, the machinery changes but the impulse does not. We see this whenever people hide behind phrases like “just business,” “company policy,” or “they had it coming.” Those words can make a vicious act sound impersonal. Seneca cuts through that disguise. The person who delights in another person’s suffering has made themselves the predator, whatever polished title they hold. This is worth remembering when you are angry and have the leverage to make another person pay. Do not confuse distance with innocence. You are responsible for what your power sets in motion. Today, refuse the satisfaction of being savage by proxy. Be firm when needed, but never let punishment become entertainment.
Related passages
- Seneca He best knows the time at which he ought to show favour to each man: I will use my utmost efforts to prevent his…
- Seneca Nothing can be imagined which is more becoming to a sovereign than clemency, by whatever title and right he may be set…
- Marcus Aurelius People may oppose your rational path but cannot prevent sound action. Do not let them drive away your goodwill; keep…