Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“We ought, however, first to examine our own selves, next the business which we propose to transact, next those for whose sake or in whose company we transact it.”
- Source
- Of Peace of Mind
- Date
- 49–62 CE
- English wording
- Aubrey Stewart — Translator · from Latin
Meaning of “We ought, however, first to examine our own…”
Before committing to action, Seneca asks for an ordered examination of self, task, and company, treating clear self-knowledge as protection against avoidable agitation and mismatch.
Where does it come from?
Of Peace of Mind, section VI, Aubrey Stewart translation (1889), cross-checked against Project Gutenberg #64576 and Wikisource. Seneca orders practical deliberation as an examination of oneself, the proposed business, and the people for whose sake or in whose company it will be done.
