Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: The great Gaius Caesar, who proved such a…
The great Gaius Caesar, who proved such a merciful conqueror in the civil war, did the same thing; he burned a packet of letters addressed to Gnaeus Pompeius by persons who had been thought to be either neutrals or on the other side.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
Caesar's act of burning letters from political opponents shows a difficult kind of strength: refusing information that would make forgiveness harder. We often do the opposite. Before a confrontation, we scroll old messages, ask mutual friends for more evidence, and build a case large enough to justify our resentment. But not every fact is useful. Some facts only sharpen a wound that you have already decided to heal. This is not a call to ignore abuse, fraud, or danger. You need the truth when it protects people or guides a necessary decision. It is a call to stop gathering material for revenge. Today, ask whether the information you are seeking will help you act wisely or merely help you stay angry. If it is the second, close the thread, stop asking, and let forgiveness have room to work.
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