Seneca on the limitless nature of virtue
Dying Every Day (Day 101)
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Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project. Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) learn how to live.
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Seneca on the limitless nature of virtue
Welcome back to Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year). Today marks Day 101, and we are revisiting Seneca to explore the boundless nature of virtue.
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In a letter to his friend Lucilius, Seneca wrote,
Every virtue knows no bounds; for limits are based on specific measurements... What can enhance perfection? Nothing—otherwise, what was deemed perfect would not be so if something could be added.
+Adapted from On Various Aspects of Virtue
We often feel like everything in our lives should be optimized or made more productive. But Seneca encourages us to think about certain qualities—like virtue—that aren’t on a spectrum. They’re whole, complete, and limitless.
Take honesty, for example. Can someone really be “mostly honest”? And what about loyalty? These qualities aren’t about degrees; if they can be added to, it suggests they were lacking in the first place.
Seneca further clarifies this point:
Virtue is not changed by the matter with which it deals; if the matter is hard and stubborn, it does not make the virtue worse; if pleasant and joyous, it does not make it better. Therefore, virtue necessarily remains equal.
Virtue doesn’t waver with circumstances. It doesn’t flourish in luxury or diminish under pressure. Its strength lies in its ability to remain constant regardless of what it faces.
Many aspects of life operate like a dimmer switch—slowly increasing (or decreasing) the light. However, virtue, Seneca says, is either on or off. You either act justly or you don’t. You either speak truthfully or you don’t. There's no “almost” in virtue.
Of course, this doesn’t mean we are either sages or worthless. Seneca, like Epictetus, believed in progress—but not progress in virtue itself, rather progress toward it.
“No great thing is created suddenly. We must undo bad habits,” stressed Epictetus, “and build good ones patiently.” We cultivate virtue like a sculptor unveils a statue—not by adding marble, but by chipping away what doesn’t belong. We don’t perfect virtue; we align ourselves with it.
Reflection Prompt
Consider taking time to reflect (or journal) on the essence of virtue. You might ask yourself,
(1) “In what areas of my life do I view virtue as something to perform and improve rather than as a guiding principle?”
(2) “How can I remember to mold my character, similar to a sculptor, through small and consistent acts of virtue?”
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Thank you for listening; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well.
J.W.
P.S. I greatly appreciate your time, attention, and support!