Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: You have asked me, Lucilius, why, if the world…
You have asked me, Lucilius, why, if the world be ruled by providence, so many evils befall good men?
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
The hard question is not whether bad things happen. They do, including to decent people who have tried to do the right thing. A layoff can arrive after years of loyal work. Illness can interrupt a life built carefully and generously. Seneca refuses the easy conclusion that the universe has singled you out for punishment. Difficulty is not evidence that your character has failed or that life is meaningless. It is the material on which character works. You may not be able to explain why a particular loss happened, and you do not need to pretend it is pleasant. But you can ask a better question: what does this situation now require from me? Patience, courage, honesty, or help? Today, when something feels unfair, pause before making it a verdict on your life. Meet the fact in front of you, then choose the next honorable action.
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