Life has
carried some men with the greatest rapidity to the harbor, the harbor they were
bound to reach even if they tarried on the way, while others it has fretted and
harassed. To such a life, as you are
aware, one should not always cling. For
mere living is not a good, but living well is.
Accordingly, the wise man will live as long as he ought, not as long as
he can … He always reflects concerning the quality, not the quantity, of his
life. As soon as there are many events
in his life that give him trouble and disturb his peace of mind, he sets
himself free. … For no man can lose very much when but a driblet remains. It is not a question of dying earlier or
later, but of dying well or ill. And
dying well means escape from the danger of living ill.
Seneca
