In letters from a stoic 43, Seneca talks about the relativity of fame. “Any point which rises above adjacent points is great, at the spot where it rises. For greatness is not absolute; comparison increases it or lessens it. “
Seneca pointed it out because Lucilius don’t seem to understand quite well the popularity that goes with holding a public office. In general, it could also be the way around people. Arrogant people think how popular they are when nobody really cares. I think the point here is fame is not that important. Fame belongs to the category the Stoics called the indifferent.
In the last part of the letter, Seneca provided a measure by which a man’s character could be measured – his conscience. “A good conscience welcomes the crowd, but a bad conscience, even in solitude, is disturbed and troubled. If your deeds are honorable, let everybody know them; if base, what matters that no one knows them, as long as you yourself know them?”
Conscience is that voice in our heads that tells us to do what is right. Seneca said that listening to our conscience is all that matters. It doesn’t mean what the crowd or other people say. We are our own witnesses.
"A good conscience welcomes the crowd, but a bad conscience, even in solitude, is disturbed and troubled."
***** Letters from a Stoic Key Takeaways is a collection of short key takeaways from the letters sent by Seneca to Lucilius. Read each letter’s key takeways here .
