Seneca quotes
4 BC – 65 · Ancient Rome, 1st century · Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist
About Seneca
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (1st century) was a Stoic philosopher, advisor and tutor to Nero, and a prolific writer of moral letters, essays and tragedies. His works on virtue, anger and practical ethics influenced later European thought and the reception of Stoicism.
Works: Letters to Lucilius (Epistulae morales), De Ira, various tragedies
Quotes
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”
Source: Letters to Lucilius, 104.26
MisattributedWhat we know
- What is documented
- Editorial corrections identify the Latin sentence in Seneca's Moral Letters to Lucilius, letter 104, section 26.
- What remains uncertain
- Although often attributed to Renaud Dillies in modern compilations (linked to a comics context), that ascription is likely apocryphal and disputed.
The insight: daring often comes before success — hesitation makes problems loom larger. Rooted in Stoic moral writing, the line reframes difficulty as partly self-made. Although widely seen on modern quote pages, editorial work traces the saying back to Seneca.