“That which is given with pride and ostentation is rather an ambition than a bounty.”
- c. 4 BC – AD 65
- Roman
- Philosopher, Statesman, Dramatist, Stoic Thinker, Advisor to Emperor Nero
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Quote
“That which is given with pride and ostentation is rather an ambition than a bounty.”
Explanation
Seneca draws a sharp distinction between genuine generosity and self-serving display. When a gift is given with pride, showiness, or the desire for recognition, it ceases to be an act of kindness and becomes an act of ambition—a means to gain admiration, status, or power. True bounty, in the Stoic sense, arises from virtue and sincerity, not from ego or performance.
In Stoic ethics, the intention behind an action determines its moral worth. A gift tainted by vanity is no longer about the recipient, but about the giver’s image. Seneca warns that ostentatious giving undermines the very spirit of generosity, transforming a potentially noble act into a transaction of pride. Authentic generosity is quiet, humble, and selfless, guided by reason and a sense of duty, not by applause.
This insight remains powerfully relevant in modern society, where public charity, philanthropy, and even social media gestures often carry the scent of self-promotion. Seneca invites us to examine not just what we give, but why and how we give. A true act of giving requires modesty and moral integrity—for only then is it a gift of the soul, not of ambition.
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