Q0029
“There are more things that frighten us than crush us, and we…” — Seneca (Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 13.4)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 13.4. Theme: being.
English
There are more things that frighten us than crush us, and we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 13.4 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
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Paul Tillich and Avicenna), being is framed through Africana Philosophy and Religious Existentialism. Some passages define being; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through being.
Concepts in this quote
- Being
- Being appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat being as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Seneca. (n.d.). There are more things that frighten us than crush us, and we suffer more often in imagination than in reality. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0029
MLA: Seneca. “There are more things that frighten us than….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0029.
Chicago: Seneca. “There are more things that frighten us than….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0029.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “There are more things that frighten us than…”?
The passage is attributed to Seneca, Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 13.4. The archive attributes this English wording to Letters to Lucilius, Ep. 13.4 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 being?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Paul Tillich and Avicenna), being is framed through Africana Philosophy and Religious Existentialism. Some passages define being; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through being.