--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The path of precept is long, that of…" description: "\"The path of precept is long, that of example short and effectual.\" — Seneca the Younger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/seneca-the-younger-219_example_the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-exam_1516945.jpg" --- # The path of precept is long, that of example short and… ![“The path of precept is long, that of example short and effectual.” quote by Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/seneca-the-younger-219_example_the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-exam_1516945.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/seneca-the-younger-219_example_the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-exam_1516945.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/seneca-the-younger-219_example_the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-exam_1516945.jpg) > “The path of precept is long, that of example short and effectual.” [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. He contrasts the long, disciplined path of principles with the brief, impactful power of leading by example. **In simple terms:** Principles are lengthy; examples are brief but powerful. Key Takeaway Lead by example for lasting impact. Themes philosophy ethics leadership Mood inspirational pragmatic Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - teaching - management - parenting - community building Key Concepts virtue ethics role modeling Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance principle with example? - When does example outweigh principle? A Different Perspective Examples may be misread without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Precept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precept/) ## Related quotes > [The road to learning by precept is long, but by example short and effective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-elder/the-road-to-learning-by-precept-is-long-but-by-example-short-and/) [Seneca the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-elder/) > [Men trust their eyes rather than their ears; the road by precept is long and tedious, by example short and effectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-trust-their-eyes-rather-than-their-ears-the-road-by-precept-is/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The central activity of leadership is teaching - first by example, second by precept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-russell-ballard/the-central-activity-of-leadership-is-teaching-first-by-example/) [M. Russell Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-russell-ballard/) > [Wisdom does not show itself so much in precept as in life - in firmness of mind and a mastery of appetite. It teaches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-does-not-show-itself-so-much-in-precept-as-in-life-in-firmness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Where is there virtue in this world that is of any practical good whose vital force is not to be found in example rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hooker-dewey/where-is-there-virtue-in-this-world-that-is-of-any-practical-good/) Edward Hooker Dewey > [My conclusion about Mr. Trump's unsuitability for office is based on his disregard for the precept of treating others with respect, an idea that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/my-conclusion-about-mr-trump-s-unsuitability-for-office-is-based-on/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [In science, the best precept is to alter and exchange our ideas as fast as science moves ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter-and-exchange-our-ideas-as/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [“MR. BROWNE'S SEPTEMBER PRECEPT: WHEN GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN BEING RIGHT OR BEING KIND, CHOOSE KIND.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio-2/mr-browne-s-september-precept-when-given-the-choice-between-being/) [R. J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio-2/) > [The most famous Obama precept is, 'No drama.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pfeiffer/the-most-famous-obama-precept-is-no-drama/) [Dan Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pfeiffer/) > [“Step by step we shall get to see how truly this promise-precept”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-murray/step-by-step-we-shall-get-to-see-how-truly-this-promise-precept/) [Andrew Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-murray/) > [In almost everything, experience is more valuable than precept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quintilian/in-almost-everything-experience-is-more-valuable-than-precept/) [Quintilian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quintilian/) > [There is no moral precept that does not have something inconvenient about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/there-is-no-moral-precept-that-does-not-have-something-inconvenient/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“En No Gyōja, taught us an important precept: “If physical pain brings confusion in your heart, you are on the way to full liberation”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-jun-shionuma/en-no-gy-ja-taught-us-an-important-precept-if-physical-pain-brings/) [Ryōjun Shionuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-jun-shionuma/) > [“I would like to ofer some exercises that can help us use the Five Precepts to cultivate and strengthen mindfulness. It is best to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/i-would-like-to-ofer-some-exercises-that-can-help-us-use-the-five/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [Example is more forcible than precept. People look at my six days in the week to see what I mean on the seventh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cecil/example-is-more-forcible-than-precept-people-look-at-my-six-days-in/) [Robert Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cecil/) ## 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 Example quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I think leading by example is important, as I know the next generation is watching us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/i-think-leading-by-example-is-important-as-i-know-the-next-generation/) [Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [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/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [You can have examples of reasons to hate people, but if you analyze those reasons it's like, Oh, I'm hating that person based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlyne-yi/you-can-have-examples-of-reasons-to-hate-people-but-if-you-analyze/) [Charlyne Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlyne-yi/) > [The protestant world is in great need of examples (like these) that will beckon us to the fullness of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/the-protestant-world-is-in-great-need-of-examples-like-these-that/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I'm not the most vocal guy, but I try to lead by example every single day with how I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/i-m-not-the-most-vocal-guy-but-i-try-to-lead-by-example-every-single/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/but-actually-theory-is-very-practical-gravity-is-a-theory-for-example/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [I had the best example set by my parents for what a couple can - and, in my opinion, should - be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-young/i-had-the-best-example-set-by-my-parents-for-what-a-couple-can-and-in/) [Brett Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-young/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [America's freedom is the example to which the world expires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/america-s-freedom-is-the-example-to-which-the-world-expires/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) Browse all 5,618 Example quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The path of precept is long, that of example short and effectual.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seneca the Younger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-example-short-and-effectual/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Example" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-example-short-and-effectual/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/seneca-the-younger-219_example_the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-exam_1516945.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/seneca-the-younger-219_example_the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-exam_1516945.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/seneca-the-younger-219_example_the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-exam_1516945.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The path of precept is long, that of example short and effectual.” — 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": "The path of precept is long,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-example-short-and-effectual/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/the-path-of-precept-is-long-that-of-example-short-and-effectual/#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 } } ] } ```