“And do you know why we have not the power to attain this Stoic ideal? It is because we refuse to believe in our power. Nay, of a surety, there is something else which plays a part: it is because we are in love with our vices; we uphold them and prefer to make excuses for them rather than shake them off. We mortals have been endowed with sufficient strength by nature, if only we use this strength, if only we concentrate our powers and rouse them all to help us or at least not to hinder us. The reason is unwillingness, the excuse, inability.”
Quote by Seneca
Book:Letters from a Stoic
Work
Letters from a Stoic
Browse quotes and source details for this work. more
Author
You May Also Like
Source: Fear of Fifty: A Midlife Memoir
“Your will has to be stronger than your excuses. Your will has to be stronger than your fear.”
Source: Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life
Source: Sense and Sensibility
Source: Civilization: The West and the Rest
Source: Land of the Lustrous, Vol. 1
Source: Celebrating Time Alone: Stories Of Splendid Solitude
“Do it today! It will spare you the effort of finding excuses tomorrow.”
“The first attempt may fail, but it does not create room for excuses.”
Source: Shaping the dream