Who said "Don't be miserable before it's time."?

Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). Source: Letters to Lucilius 13.4.

What is the original Latin?

illud tibi praecipio, ne sis miser ante tempus. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Don't be miserable before it's time." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

illud tibi praecipio, ne sis miser ante tempus

Don't be miserable before it's time.

Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 13.4

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What it means

Worry lets a bad event hurt you before it happens, and often it never comes. Seneca's advice is to refuse that early payment. If trouble arrives, meet it then.

The source

"Don't be miserable before it's time." Seneca said it in Letters to Lucilius 13.4. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.

"illud tibi praecipio, ne sis miser ante tempus"

Original Latin, Letters to Lucilius 13.4. Text read at thelatinlibrary.com.

Who said it

Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). Stoic philosopher, playwright and adviser to the emperor Nero. His letters to his friend Lucilius are the most readable handbook of Stoicism ever written.

Questions

What does "Don't be miserable before it's time." mean?: Worry lets a bad event hurt you before it happens, and often it never comes. Seneca's advice is to refuse that early payment. If trouble arrives, meet it then.
Who said "Don't be miserable before it's time."?: Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). Source: Letters to Lucilius 13.4.
What is the original Latin?: illud tibi praecipio, ne sis miser ante tempus. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.
Is "Don't be miserable before it's time." on a shirt?: Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

Cite this line

"Don't be miserable before it's time." (Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 13.4, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/dont-be-miserable-before-its-time