"That which is given with pride and ostentation is rather an ambition than a bounty"
- Seneca the Younger
About this Quote
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman theorist, statesman, and dramatist who lived from 4 BC to 65 AD. The quote "That which is supplied satisfaction and also ostentation is instead a passion than a bounty" recommends that when individuals provide presents or help others however do so in a showy way, it is not an authentic act of kindness or generosity. Rather, the person offering is a lot more concerned with flaunting their riches, power or status than really aiding others. Seneca's view was that true kindness needs to be provided without excitement or assumption of acknowledgment, as the act of offering ought to come from an authentic desire to assist others instead of a need for public acclaim or authorization. Therefore, Seneca thought that authentic acts of bounty or generosity ought to be performed in a modest way that is not indicated to accentuate oneself.
"Me only have one ambition, y'know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together - black, white, Chinese, everyone - that's all"
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved"
"The average Hollywood film star's ambition is to be admired by an American, courted by an Italian, married to an Englishman and have a French boyfriend"
