Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“It is above all things necessary to form a true estimate of oneself.”
- Source
- Of Peace of Mind
- Date
- 49–62 CE
- English wording
- Aubrey Stewart — Translator · from Latin
Meaning of “It is above all things necessary to form…”
A realistic estimate of one’s abilities and limits supports both confidence and humility, reducing the instability that comes from either self-contempt or exaggerated self-belief.
Where does it come from?
Of Peace of Mind, section VI, Aubrey Stewart translation (1889), cross-checked against Project Gutenberg #64576 and Wikisource. The sentence opens Seneca’s advice to form a true estimate of oneself before matching undertakings to one’s actual abilities and temperament.
