Most of life slips away doing nothing, or the wrong thing.
Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 1.1
Most of life slips away doing nothing, or the wrong thing.
Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 1.1
What it means
Seneca lists three leaks: doing things badly, doing nothing, and doing something other than what matters. The last one takes the whole of life. Check where your hours actually go, not where you meant them to go.
The source
"Most of life slips away doing nothing, or the wrong thing." Seneca said it in Letters to Lucilius 1.1. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.
"magna pars vitae elabitur male agentibus, maxima nihil agentibus, tota vita aliud agentibus"Original Latin, Letters to Lucilius 1.1. 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 "Most of life slips away doing nothing, or the wrong thing." mean?
- Seneca lists three leaks: doing things badly, doing nothing, and doing something other than what matters. The last one takes the whole of life. Check where your hours actually go, not where you meant them to go.
- Who said "Most of life slips away doing nothing, or the wrong thing."?
- Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). Source: Letters to Lucilius 1.1.
- What is the original Latin?
- magna pars vitae elabitur male agentibus, maxima nihil agentibus, tota vita aliud agentibus. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.
- Is "Most of life slips away doing nothing, or the wrong thing." 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
"Most of life slips away doing nothing, or the wrong thing." (Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 1.1, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/most-of-life-slips-away-doing-nothing-or
Filed under Quotes about time and Stoic quotes.
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More from Seneca
- Claim yourself back.Letters to Lucilius 1.1
- While you put life off, it runs past.Letters to Lucilius 1.3
- Nothing is truly yours except your time.Letters to Lucilius 1.3
- Be everywhere and you are nowhere.Letters to Lucilius 2.2
- Poor is not having little. Poor is wanting more.Letters to Lucilius 2.6
- Trusting everyone and trusting no one are both mistakes.Letters to Lucilius 3.4