Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: The better a man is, the more frequently he is…
The better a man is, the more frequently he is wont to suffer from your indiscriminate rage, you who are to be feared even when you are bestowing benefits upon one. How little it would have cost you to avert this blow from one upon whom your favours seemed to be conferred according to some regular plan, and not to be flung at random in your wonted fashion!”
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
Uncontrolled anger often lands hardest on the people least deserving of it. The dependable colleague gets snapped at because they will absorb it. The kind partner receives the sharp words that were really meant for a difficult client. When power is exercised randomly, even its favors become frightening; nobody knows when approval will turn into punishment. Seneca's point applies anywhere you have influence: as a parent, manager, friend, teacher, or simply the person setting the emotional tone in a room. Do not make people guess which version of you they will encounter. A temper may feel spontaneous and honest, but its costs are paid by everyone around it. Before you send the cutting message or unload on someone safe, pause long enough to identify the actual target of your frustration. Then choose an action you could defend tomorrow. Consistency is one of the quietest forms of kindness.
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