It's sunday, so here is a new passage from the writings of roman philosopher Lucis Annaeus Seneca. Again, the latin is the original and the english translation is my own. I've decided to leave the german translation out, since latin and english are enough.
The photo shows a letter from Seneca to Lucilius (although not the one this post is about) in a book from 1458, about 1400 years after Seneca's time.
This passage is from the 113th letter to Lucilius:
| latin | english |
|---|---|
| Quid est fortitudo? Munimentum humanae imbecillitatis inexpugnabile, quod qui circumdedit sibi, securus in hac vitae obsidione perdurat: vititur enim suis viribus, suis telis. | What is courage? The insurmuntable fortification of human weakness; those who have it, endures the siege of life free from danger: he uses his own strengths, his own weapons. |
So, if you have the virtue of courage, you are safe wherever you are and whatever situation you are in.
Nowadays, a lot of people are looking for "safe spaces", want to create and live in a place where nothing bad can ever happen to themselves or their children etc...
However, can a truly safe space exist? Is there a place in this world, where you can always be safe, never be subject to danger?
I don't think so, at least not a place in the physical sense. The only true safe spaces is the metaphorical one Seneca discribed: the fortification of courage.
If we teach ourselves and are children and those we love, how to be courageous, how to use our own strengths, our own weapons (again in the metaphorical sense). If we walk through this world with courage and know how to deal with whatever life throws at us, then we are really safe. Not when we stay in our comfort zone and try to avoid everything that makes ous feel unsafe.
What do you think?