Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: You are indignant at being answered back by your…
You are indignant at being answered back by your slave, your freedman, your wife, or your client: and then you complain of the state having lost the freedom which you have destroyed in your own house: then again if he is silent when you question him, you call it sullen obstinacy. Let him both speak and be silent, and laugh too.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
It is a special kind of tyranny to demand that people beneath you speak freely and then punish whatever they say. If they answer back, you call them disrespectful. If they stay quiet, you call them sullen. The real demand is not communication but submission. This can happen in any home or workplace where one person's mood defines the rules. If you have authority, make your expectations possible to meet. Let people disagree, ask questions, and have an expression that is not tailored to reassure you. If you do not have authority, recognize impossible standards for what they are and protect your dignity where you can. Freedom starts in small interactions: allowing someone to speak without retaliation, allowing them silence without accusation, allowing them to be human. A peaceful home is not one where nobody talks back; it is one where nobody has to fear speaking.
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