Q0027
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;…” — Seneca (Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 104.26)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 104.26. Theme: courage.
English
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 104.26 and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Seneca
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c. 4 BCE–65 CE) was a Cordoban-born Stoic, tragic playwright, and adviser—later forced suicide victim—under Nero.
How to read this passage
Philosophers ask whether courage is fearlessness or right action amid fear, and how it relates to recklessness, endurance, and moral courage in public life. This passage enters that discussion through courage, action, self.
Concepts in this quote
- Courage
- Courage is the virtue of facing fear without abandoning judgment—central to ethics from Aristotle to modern existential resolve.
- Action
- Action concerns agency: what it is to do something intentionally, and how thought becomes practice.
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Seneca. (n.d.). It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0027
MLA: Seneca. “It is not because things are difficult that….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0027.
Chicago: Seneca. “It is not because things are difficult that….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0027.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “It is not because things are difficult that…”?
The passage is attributed to Seneca, Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 104.26. The archive attributes this English wording to Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 104.26 and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Seneca mean by courage?
Philosophers ask whether courage is fearlessness or right action amid fear, and how it relates to recklessness, endurance, and moral courage in public life. This passage enters that discussion through courage, action, self.