Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“The mind ought in all cases to be called away from the contemplation of external things to that of itself.”
- Source
- Of Peace of Mind
- Date
- 49–62 CE
- English wording
- Aubrey Stewart — Translator · from Latin
Meaning of “The mind ought in all cases to be…”
Turning attention back toward the mind does not deny external events; it restores awareness of the judgments and responses that remain available when circumstances cannot be controlled.
Where does it come from?
Of Peace of Mind, section XIV, Aubrey Stewart translation (1889), cross-checked against Project Gutenberg #64576 and Wikisource. Seneca turns attention away from external things toward the mind itself while discussing flexibility under changes of fortune; this is historical Stoic counsel, not modern clinical guidance.
