2 quotations linked to Moral Letters to Lucilius — Letter 9 by or associated with Seneca, with source notes, explanations and related topics.
Friendship, love, self-sufficiency, reciprocity, Stoic independence and Seneca’s use of Hecato while explaining why the wise person still desires friends.
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“If you would be loved, love.”
Seneca treats affection as reciprocal practice: the desire to receive love begins with becoming someone who actively gives it.
Letter 9, on philosophy and friendship; Seneca quotes Hecato while discussing how friendship is formed.
“The wise man is self-sufficient. Nevertheless, he desires friends.”
Self-sufficiency does not require isolation; inner stability can coexist with a genuine desire for friendship and shared life.
Letter 9 contrasts Stoic self-sufficiency with the continuing value of friendship.
