Seneca the Younger Quotes

People who are living in economic struggle are more than their circumstances. They're majestic and creative and beautiful.

Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character; it becomes lack of power to act with courage proportionate to danger. All this must lead to the destruction of our intellectual life unless the danger summons up strong personalities able to fill the lukewarm and discouraged with new strength and resolution.

My own father had always said the measure of a man wasn't how many times or how hard he got knocked down, but how fast he got back up. I made a pledge to myself that I would get up and emerge from this debacle better for having gone through it. I would live up to the expectation I had for myself. I would be the kind of man I wanted to be.

Adversity often hatches out the true nobility of character.

No matter how painful something is, you have to take it. I saw that in both my parents.

Any of us can be happy and have a good attitude when everything is going our way. But I believe it's the real test of your character and of your faith to say, 'Things are not going our way, but I'm still being good to people; I'm still attending church; I still have a good attitude.'

Nothing is given to man on earth - struggle is built into the nature of life, and conflict is possible - the hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen.

The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.

We're always attracted to characters who are people we could identify with and yet are put through incredibly tortured or difficult circumstances - the idea being that you don't really know who you are until you've been tested or suffered in some way.

Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.

When I am made fun of in the press I just remember those days when I'd come home to find that the water had been turned off because my mother couldn't afford the bill. Suddenly, everything feels easier.

The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves.

One may summon his philosophy when they are beaten in battle, not till then.

Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it.

I'm a survivor - a living example of what people can go through and survive.

It always remains true that if we had been greater, circumstance would have been less strong against us.

The best people I know have had a lot of obstacles to overcome.

I've had my share of struggle. I believe, never take success to your head or failure to your heart.

But I believe we must not allow feelings of defeat to take root in our hearts.

Failure sometimes enlarges the spirit. You have to fall back upon humanity and God.

I just think that there are those people that their resolve is strengthened by what it is that's keeping them down, and there are some people that will buckle under it. You never know which one is which until you get into the eighth or ninth round of the fight.

I pass through the difficult moments in life, really difficult times on grass, during my seven years of my career. All of a sudden I felt comfortable.

The secret is not to give up hope. It's very hard not to because if you're really doing something worthwhile I think you will be pushed to the brink of hopelessness before you come through the other side.

I come here not as a polished politician but as a woman who has had her fair share of life's knocks.

I really believe I'm no different from anyone else. I just had a few challenges I had to learn from at a very early age.