--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Certain laws have not been written, but…" description: "\"Certain laws have not been written, but they are more fixed than all the written laws.\" — Seneca the Younger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/seneca-the-younger-219_certain_certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-t_2715878.jpg" --- # Certain laws have not been written, but they are more… ![“Certain laws have not been written, but they are more fixed than all the written laws.” quote by Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/seneca-the-younger-219_certain_certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-t_2715878.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/seneca-the-younger-219_certain_certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-t_2715878.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/seneca-the-younger-219_certain_certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-t_2715878.jpg) > “Certain laws have not been written, but they are more fixed than all the written laws.” [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unwritten laws, rooted in nature or tradition, can be more binding than formal statutes. **In simple terms:** Unwritten laws can be stronger than written ones. Key Takeaway Respect enduring moral principles. Themes ethics law tradition philosophy Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - legal debates - ethical decision‑making - philosophical discourse Key Concepts natural law social contracts Questions to Reflect On - What unwritten rules guide you? - How do they conflict with written law? A Different Perspective May be idealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-laws-2104856/) [Fixed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fixed/) [Fixed Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fixed-written-2844287/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Laws Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-written-617337/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) [Written Fixed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-fixed-1105334/) [Written Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-laws-1024745/) ## Related quotes > [Some laws, though unwritten, are more firmly established than all written laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/some-laws-though-unwritten-are-more-firmly-established-than-all/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [“At the moment, everyone gets a copyright as soon as the work is written down or otherwise fixed, whether they want one or not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boyle/at-the-moment-everyone-gets-a-copyright-as-soon-as-the-work-is/) [James Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boyle/) > [Sometimes to help people, we have to break certain laws that stand as barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/sometimes-to-help-people-we-have-to-break-certain-laws-that-stand-as/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [“He had many names, but one nature, and this unique nature made him subject to certain laws not binding upon ordinary persons. In a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/he-had-many-names-but-one-nature-and-this-unique-nature-made-him/) [John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/) > [If you believe in science, like I do, you believe that there are certain laws that are always obeyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/if-you-believe-in-science-like-i-do-you-believe-that-there-are/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Written laws are like spiders' webs, and will, like them, only entangle and hold the poor and weak, while the rich and powerful will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anacharsis/written-laws-are-like-spiders-webs-and-will-like-them-only-entangle/) [Anacharsis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anacharsis/) > [Deep within the human constitution lie written laws of nature that should guide man in the conduct of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-m-shelton/deep-within-the-human-constitution-lie-written-laws-of-nature-that/) [Herbert M. Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-m-shelton/) > [A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the highest virtues of a good citizen, but it is not the highest.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-strict-observance-of-the-written-laws-is-doubtless-one-of-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high virtues of a good citizen, but it is not the highest.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-strict-observance-of-the-written-laws-is-doubtless-one-of-the-high/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Written laws are formulas in which we endeavor to express as concisely as possible that which, under such or such determined circumstances, natural justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cousin/written-laws-are-formulas-in-which-we-endeavor-to-express-as/) [Victor Cousin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cousin/) > [The average American doesn't realize how much of the laws are written by lobbyists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/the-average-american-doesn-t-realize-how-much-of-the-laws-are-written/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [Usually, in any revolution people are focused on who wants to have the most power. But the most important thing is the laws that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/usually-in-any-revolution-people-are-focused-on-who-wants-to-have-the/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [It is not our job to apply laws that have not yet been written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/it-is-not-our-job-to-apply-laws-that-have-not-yet-been-written/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [The more laws that are written, the more criminals are produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-more-laws-that-are-written-the-more-criminals-are-produced/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [It would be a narrow conception of jurisprudence to confine the notion of 'laws' to what is found written on the statute books, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/it-would-be-a-narrow-conception-of-jurisprudence-to-confine-the/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) ## More by Seneca the Younger > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [It is for the superfluous we sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-for-the-superfluous-we-sweat/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Men trust rather to their eyes than to their ears; the effect of precepts is therefore slow and tedious, whilst that of examples is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-trust-rather-to-their-eyes-than-to-their-ears-the-effect-of/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [A great step towards independence is a good-humored stomach, one that is willing to endure rough treatment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/a-great-step-towards-independence-is-a-good-humored-stomach-one-that/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Men can be divided into 2 groups: one that goes ahead and achieves something, and one that comes after and criticizes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-can-be-divided-into-2-groups-one-that-goes-ahead-and-achieves/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Leisure without study is death, and the grave of a living man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/leisure-without-study-is-death-and-the-grave-of-a-living-man/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Such as the chain of causes we call Fate, such is the chain of wishes: one links on to another; the whole man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/such-as-the-chain-of-causes-we-call-fate-such-is-the-chain-of-wishes/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [To rule yourself is the ultimate power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/to-rule-yourself-is-the-ultimate-power/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The road by precepts is tedious, by example, short and efficacious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/the-road-by-precepts-is-tedious-by-example-short-and-efficacious/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Misfortune is the test of a person's merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/misfortune-is-the-test-of-a-person-s-merit/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [He who does not want to die should not want to live. For life is tendered to us with the proviso of death. Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/he-who-does-not-want-to-die-should-not-want-to-live-for-life-is/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Let us not seek our disease out of ourselves; 'tis in us, and planted in our bowels; and the mere fact that we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/let-us-not-seek-our-disease-out-of-ourselves-tis-in-us-and-planted-in/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [After death there is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/after-death-there-is-nothing/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Adversity finds at last the man whom she has often passed by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/adversity-finds-at-last-the-man-whom-she-has-often-passed-by/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Hesitation is the best cure for anger. The first blows of anger are heavy, but if it waits, it will think again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/hesitation-is-the-best-cure-for-anger-the-first-blows-of-anger-are/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) [Explore all 872 Seneca the Younger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) [T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) [Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Certain laws have not been written, but they are more fixed than all the written laws.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seneca the Younger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-they-are-more-fixed-than-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-they-are-more-fixed-than-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/seneca-the-younger-219_certain_certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-t_2715878.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/seneca-the-younger-219_certain_certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-t_2715878.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/seneca-the-younger-219_certain_certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-t_2715878.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Certain laws have not been written, but they are more fixed than all the written laws.” — Seneca the Younger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Seneca the Younger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Certain laws have not been written,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-they-are-more-fixed-than-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/certain-laws-have-not-been-written-but-they-are-more-fixed-than-all/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```