Seneca: turn away from the masses (and from soccer)!

Due to a bad performance, the Dutch soccer team will not go to the European championships next year. They had to win the last two games, but lost from Iceland and Turkey. For me it is enough: I will to turn to stoicism. Soccer is a game for the masses and the masses are always wrong. Apart from that, the players are striving after vain glory and useless money instead of striving after better knowledge of their souls. For too long I didn’t want to see this, but Seneca has opened my eyes. In his De Vita Beata he advises us to turn away from the masses (turba, vulgus) and to pursuit a life according to the ideals of stoicism.  This means in effect that I have to withdraw from watching games coming year and train myself in living according to nature. But when by chance I happen to see a game, I will shake my head about that much folly – and secretly support the Germans, Belgians or Icelanders.

              

Seneca, De Vita Beata, c. 2

Cum de beata uita agetur, non est quod mihi illud discessionum more respondeas: 'haec pars maior esse uidetur.' Ideo enim peior est. Non tam bene cum rebus humanis agitur ut meliora pluribus placeant: argumentum pessimi turba est. 2. Quaeramus ergo quid optimum factu sit, non quid usitatissimum, et quid nos in possessione felicitatis aeternae constituat, non quid uulgo, ueritatis pessimo interpreti, probatum sit. Vulgum autem tam chlamydatos quam coronatos uoco; non enim colorem uestium quibus praetexta sunt corpora, aspicio. Oculis de homine non credo, habeo melius et certius lumen quo a falsis uera diiudicem: animi bonum animus inueniat. Hic, si umquam respirare illi et recedere in se uacauerit, o quam sibi ipse uerum tortus a se fatebitur ac dicet: 3. 'quidquid feci adhuc infectum esse mallem, quidquid dixi cum recogito, mutis inuideo, quidquid optaui inimicorum execrationem puto, quidquid timui, di boni, quanto leuius fuit quam quod concupii! Cum multis inimicitias gessi et in gratiam ex odio, si modo ulla inter malos gratia est, redii: mihi ipsi nondum amicus sum. Omnem operam dedi ut me multitudini educerem et aliqua dote notabilem facerem: quid aliud quam telis me opposui et maleuolentiae quod morderet ostendi? 4. Vides istos qui eloquentiam laudant, qui opes sequuntur, qui gratiae adulantur, qui potentiam extollunt? omnes aut sunt hostes aut, quod in aequo est, esse possunt; quam magnus mirantium tam magnus inuidentium populus est. Quin potius quaero aliquod usu bonum, quod sentiam, non quod ostendam? ista quae spectantur, ad quae consistitur, quae alter alteri stupens monstrat, foris nitent, introrsus misera sunt

discessionum more: according to the way of voting in the Senate (litt.: in the way of departing. When there was a vote in the senate, senators walked to the party they agreed with.)

argumentum pessimi turba est: proof of the worse is the crowd

constituat: can bring

interpres –etis (m.): interpreter

chlamydatus: dressed in a chlamys, a kind of cloak worn by military, but there were also expensive versions with purple and gold, worn by high officials

praetextus: adorned

de homine: shorthand for `when I judge about a human’

diiudico: to judge

animi bonum animus inueniat: a soul will find the good of (another) soul

hic = animus

illi = animo

si umquam respirare illi et recedere in se uacauerit: if there is ever time for the soul to take a breath and recede in itself

tortus a se: tormented by itself (i.e. by questioning and soul-searching)

fateor fassus sum: to confess

infectus: undone

recogito: to rethink

mutis: the mute (animals)

invideo (+ dat.): to be jealous of

quidquid…execrationem puto: whatever…I consider as a curse

concupio concupi(v)i: to desire

inimicitias gessi: I have been in enmity

in gratiam redeo: to reconcile (gratia: reconciliation)

inter malos: no true friendship can exist between bad people

mihi ipsi nondum amicus sum: i.e. because the animus is distracted

operam do: to strive

dos dotis (f.): gift, talent

(me) notabilem facerem: I could make myself renown

telis: dative with opposui

mordeo momordi morsum: to bite

ops opis (f.): power, wealth

adulor (+ dat.): to flatter

in equo est: what is the same

quam magnus (populus) mirantium: as great as the crowd of admirers

aliquod usu bonum: something (proven) good through practice

quod sentiam, non quod ostendam: i.e inner experience versus outward display

ad quae consistitur: impersonal construction `at which people stand still’

stupeo: to be astonished

foris: from the outside

niteo: to shine

introrsus: inside

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Of_a_Happy_Life/Book_II