Spend your time with people who make you better.

What it means

Crowds pull you toward their habits, good or bad. Seneca's rule is simple: keep company with those who raise you, and welcome those you can raise. Look at the five people you see most and ask which way they pull.

The source

"Spend your time with people who make you better." Seneca said it in Letters to Lucilius 7.8. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.

"cum his versare qui te meliorem facturi sunt, illos admitte quos tu potes facere meliores"

Original Latin, Letters to Lucilius 7.8. 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 "Spend your time with people who make you better." mean?

Crowds pull you toward their habits, good or bad. Seneca's rule is simple: keep company with those who raise you, and welcome those you can raise. Look at the five people you see most and ask which way they pull.

Who said "Spend your time with people who make you better."?

Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). Source: Letters to Lucilius 7.8.

What is the original Latin?

cum his versare qui te meliorem facturi sunt, illos admitte quos tu potes facere meliores. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Spend your time with people who make you better." on a shirt?

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

"Spend your time with people who make you better." (Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 7.8, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/spend-your-time-with-people-who-make-you