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February 11th

HERO OR NERO?

“Our soul is sometimes a king, and sometimes a tyrant. A king, by

attending to what is honorable, protects the good health of the

body in its care, and gives it no base or sordid command. But an

uncontrolled, desire-fueled, over-indulged soul is turned from a

king into that most feared and detested thing—a tyrant.”

—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 114.24

here is that saying that absolute power corrupts absolutely. At first
glance, that’s true. Seneca’s pupil Nero and his litany of crimes and
murders is a perfect example. Another emperor, Domitian, arbitrarily
banished all philosophers from Rome (Epictetus was forced to flee as a
result). Many of Rome’s emperors were tyrants. Yet, not many years later,
Epictetus would become a close friend of another emperor, Hadrian, who
would help Marcus Aurelius to the throne, one of the truest examples of a
wise philosopher king.
So it’s not so clear that power always corrupts. In fact, it looks like it
comes down, in many ways, to the inner strength and self-awareness of
individuals—what they value, what desires they keep in check, whether
their understanding of fairness and justice can counteract the temptations of
unlimited wealth and deference.
The same is true for you. Both personally and professionally. Tyrant or
king? Hero or Nero? Which will you be?