"We should every night call ourselves to an account: what infirmity have I mastered today? what passions opposed? what temptation resisted? what virtue acquired? Our vices will abate of themselves if they be brought every day to the shrift"
- Seneca the Younger
About this Quote
This quote by Lucius Annaeus Seneca encourages us to assess our actions and behaviour every day. He recommends that we need to make the effort to ask ourselves what weaknesses we have overcome, what temptations we have actually withstood, and what virtues we have actually acquired. By doing this, we can become more familiar with our behaviour and make every effort to improve ourselves. Seneca believes that if we are sincere with ourselves and take obligation for our actions, our vices will naturally diminish. This quote encourages us to take a minute each day to assess our behaviour and to make every effort to become better variations of ourselves.
"I weep for the liberty of my country when I see at this early day of its successful experiment that corruption has been imputed to many members of the House of Representatives, and the rights of the people have been bartered for promises of office"