Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: This is not anger, it is ferocity: for it does…
This is not anger, it is ferocity: for it does not do hurt because it has received injury: but is even willing to receive injury, provided it may do hurt. It does not long to inflict stripes and mangle bodies to avenge its wrongs, but for its own pleasure.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
There is a difference between wanting a problem addressed and enjoying the chance to hurt someone. The first can be justice. The second is cruelty. You can see the difference in an argument when someone stops trying to solve the issue and starts looking for the sentence that will wound most deeply. Online, it appears as the delight of a pile-on. At work, it appears when feedback becomes an opportunity to embarrass a rival. Seneca asks us to be honest about that pleasure, because it is dangerous when disguised as righteousness. If you want another person to suffer more than you want the situation repaired, step back. No good outcome will come from that state of mind. Today, before you confront someone, decide what a fair resolution would look like. If you cannot name one, you may be seeking injury rather than justice.
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