Quid est sapientia? Semper idem velle atque idem nolle
“What is wisdom? Always to want the same things and always to reject the same things.”
Seneca, Epistulae morales 20.5
What does “Quid est sapientia? Semper idem velle atque idem nolle” mean?
Quid est sapientia? Semper idem velle atque idem nolle translates as “What is wisdom? Always to want the same things and always to reject the same things.”
Wisdom shows itself in consistency: a wise person’s wishes and refusals do not change with every mood. Seneca contrasts this steadiness with the fickleness of most people.
“Quid est sapientia? Semper idem velle …” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Quid | what | interrogative pronoun, nominative singular neuter, from quis, quid; here the question word “what?” |
| est | is | 3rd person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| sapientia | wisdom | nominative singular feminine of sapientia, “wisdom”; the thing being defined |
| Semper | always | adverb |
| idem | the same thing | accusative singular neuter of idem, eadem, idem, “the same”; object of velle |
| velle | to want | present infinitive of volo, “I want, I wish” |
| atque | and | conjunction, a slightly stronger form of ac, “and” |
| idem | the same thing | accusative singular neuter of idem; object of nolle |
| nolle | to refuse | present infinitive of nolo, “I do not want”, from ne + volo; “to reject” |
How to pronounce “Quid est sapientia? Semper idem velle …”
The differences are quid (kwid or kweed) and the ti of sapientia (tee or tsee). Both versions stress the same syllables: sa-pi-EN-ti-a, SEM-per, and the first syllable of velle and nolle.
The story behind it
Word for word the question is “what is wisdom?”, and the answer is “always to want the same thing and to refuse the same thing”. The wording is a short definition, and Seneca presents it as one.
It comes from Seneca’s Epistulae morales, his letters to Lucilius, in Letter 20, where he argues that a person’s words and actions should agree with each other and that a steady character is the mark of progress in philosophy.
Seneca did not coin the idea. He draws on an older Roman saying about shared likes and dislikes, which the historian Sallust used for friendship. Seneca applies it to a single person and to wisdom. Today the line is often quoted in Stoic circles as a short definition of consistency.
How to use “Quid est sapientia? Semper idem velle …”
Suits a Stoic journal cover, a philosophy class handout, or a personal motto about staying true to your values. The full question and answer reads best on a page; for a tattoo or short caption, “Semper idem velle atque idem nolle” works alone.
- Latin
- Quid est sapientia? Semper idem velle atque idem nolle
- English
- What is wisdom? Always to want the same things and always to reject the same things.
- Source
- Seneca, Epistulae morales 20.5
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- It does not mean always wanting the same things in a stubborn sense. Seneca is talking about a steady, well-judged character, not refusing to learn.
- Idem here is neuter, “the same thing”, not masculine “the same man”. Changing it to eadem (“the same things”, plural) would be a different sentence.
- Nolle is not “to not want” in a weak sense but “to refuse, to be unwilling”, the real opposite of velle.
- Quoting only the second half drops the question that frames it as a definition of wisdom.
Questions about “Quid est sapientia? Semper idem velle …”
What does “Quid est sapientia? Semper idem velle atque idem nolle” mean?
“What is wisdom? Always to want the same things and always to reject the same things.” It defines wisdom as consistency of desire and refusal.
Who said “Semper idem velle atque idem nolle”?
Seneca the Younger, in his Epistulae morales, Letter 20, written to Lucilius. The exact line is cited as 20.5.
How do you pronounce “Quid est sapientia”?
Classical: kwid est sah-pee-EN-tee-ah. Church Latin: kweed est sah-pee-EN-tsee-ah. Stress the EN in both.
Is “Semper idem velle atque idem nolle” good Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is correct classical Latin taken from Seneca. Both verbs are infinitives and idem is neuter, so keep all four words together as written.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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