"Success is not greedy, as people think, but insignificant. That is why it satisfies nobody"

Seneca the Younger challenges a common perception: that success is associated with greed and the unquenchable desire for more. Rather than seeing success as a coveted treasure that people tirelessly chase, he presents it as something inherently insignificant. Its fleeting or minor nature undermines the satisfaction it is supposed to bring. People believe that achieving success will fulfill their deepest desires, soothe their ambition, or justify their efforts and sacrifices. However, Seneca exposes a paradox: upon attaining their goals, individuals often experience a profound sense of anticlimax. The anticipated fulfillment is absent, and what once seemed so valuable now appears trivial.

This observation stems from the nature of human desire. We tend to magnify the importance of distant achievements, believing their acquisition will make our lives complete. The journey becomes laced with hope and longing, but the destination reveals the emptiness of the reward. Success, then, is not greedy, its role is not to urge us towards greater acts of acquisition or avarice. Instead, it is ultimately modest in its substance, offering little in the way of lasting meaning. Such insignificance is precisely why it cannot truly satisfy.

Seneca’s insight reveals something essential about the human condition. Our restless search for satisfaction through external accomplishments often leads only to new cravings or disappointments. Desire outpaces fulfillment, as each success attained is swiftly diminished by greater ambitions or a new sense of what is lacking. Satisfaction remains out of reach not because success is excessive or indulgent, but precisely because it is too slight, too meager in comparison to the expectations we place upon it.

By drawing attention to the insignificance of external success, Seneca invites a reevaluation of where meaning and contentment are to be found. Instead of seeking completion in outward achievements, perhaps true satisfaction lies within, untethered from the fleeting promises of external triumphs.