Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: Some stories may be so construed as to appear to…
Some stories may be so construed as to appear to be insults: wherefore it is best to put some aside, to laugh at others, and to pardon others. There are many ways in which anger may be checked; most things may be turned into jest.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
Not every remark deserves to become a case. A vague email, a joke that lands badly, a friend who forgets to respond—these can be read as insults if we are looking for evidence against people. Usually we have more than one interpretation available. Maybe the person was careless. Maybe they were stressed. Maybe they meant exactly what they said, which still may not be worth carrying all day. Practice choosing the response that fits the evidence. Some things deserve a direct conversation. Some should be laughed off. Some are best forgiven without ceremony. Humor can be especially useful because it punctures the grand drama anger tries to create. Before assuming hostility, ask whether there is a kinder and more ordinary explanation. You will not become naive by doing this. You will become harder to manipulate and easier to live with.
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