Seneca · c. 4 BCE – 65 CE
On Benefits 5.3 ¶2 — Seneca
Translation by Aubrey Stewart (1887)
Seneca, On Benefits 5.3 ¶2
So is it with benefits. A man may have received more than he gave, more valuable ones, more frequently bestowed; yet is he not vanquished. It may be that, if you compare the benefits with one another, those which he has received will outweigh those which he has bestowed; but if you compare the giver and the receiver, whose intentions also ought to be considered apart, neither will prove the victor. It often happens that even when one combatant is pierced with many wounds, while the other is only slightly injured, yet they are said to have fought a drawn battle, although the former may appear to be the worse man.
Cite this passage
Seneca, On Benefits 5.3 ¶2, tr. Aubrey Stewart (1887)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-benefits/5.3.2
Seneca, Dialogues, tr. Aubrey Stewart (1887–1889). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesReceiving more than you give does not make you the loser, because what counts is the intention on each side and not just the size of the gifts. Two people can each come out of an exchange without being beaten, even if one has given far more.
Older wording
- “vanquished”
- — defeated
- “drawn battle”
- — a battle with no winner
Themes and situations
- Gratitude
- Virtue and character
- Friendship
- Judgements and impressions
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