"This can be swiftly taught in very few words: virtue is the only good; there is no certain good without virtue; and virtue resides in our nobler part, which is the rational one. And what can this virtue be? True and steadfast judgment. For from this will arise every mental impulse, and by it every appearance that spurs our impulses will be rendered clear."-SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 71.32
(“덕은 유일한 선이고, 덕이 없는 선은 존재하지 않으며, 덕은 우리의 고귀한 부분, 즉 이성적인 부분에 존재한다는 것을 몇 마디로 간단히 설명할 수 있습니다. 그렇다면 이 미덕은 무엇일까요? 진실하고 확고한 판단력입니다. 이것으로부터 모든 정신적 충동이 일어나고, 그것에 의해 우리의 충동을 자극하는 모든 모습이 분명해질 것입니다."-세네카, 도덕편지, 71.32쪽)
Think about someone you know who has character of granite. Why are they so dependable, trustworthy, excellent? Why do they have a sterling reputation?
You might see a pattern: consistency. They are honest not only when it's convenient. They are not only there for you when it counts. The qualities that make them admirable come through in every action ("arise with every mental impulse").
Why do we revere people like Theodore Roosevelt, for example? It isn't because he was brave ...
