“The bad fortune of the good turns their faces up to heaven; the good fortune of the bad bows their heads down to the earth.”
- c. 4 BC – AD 65
- Roman
- Philosopher, Statesman, Dramatist, Stoic Thinker, Advisor to Emperor Nero
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Quote
“The bad fortune of the good turns their faces up to heaven; the good fortune of the bad bows their heads down to the earth.”
Explanation
Adversity elevates the virtuous, while prosperity degrades the wicked. Seneca the Younger contrasts two moral reactions to changing fortune: the good become more noble in suffering, lifting their hearts toward higher purpose, while the bad, when given success, become more base, absorbed in materialism and moral decline.
This quote exemplifies the Stoic belief that character is revealed—not created—by fortune. When misfortune strikes the virtuous, it deepens their wisdom, humility, and spiritual strength. They look “up to heaven,” symbolizing hope, reflection, and moral aspiration. Conversely, when the morally corrupt gain wealth or power, they become even more consumed by earthly concerns, symbolized by the bowed head. They are not uplifted by fortune, but further chained to vice.
In modern terms, this idea warns that suffering can refine the noble, while success can corrupt the unprincipled. A kind person facing hardship may grow in empathy and insight, while an unethical person made rich may grow arrogant and blind. Seneca’s insight reminds us that virtue or vice determines whether fortune is a test or a trap.
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