a good person never settles for easy
“Good people will do what they find honorable to do, even if it requires hard work; they’ll do it even if it causes them injury; they’ll do it even if it will bring danger. Again, they won’t do what they find base, even if it brings wealth, pleasure, or power. Nothing will deter them from what is honorable, and nothing will lure them into what is base.”
— Seneca, Moral Letters, 76.18
In 1955, Rosa Parks, an African American woman living in Montgomery, Alabama, made a decision that embodied the spirit of Seneca's words. At that time, racial segregation was still enforced in many parts of the United States, including on public transportation.
On December 1, 1955, Parks boarded a city bus after a long day of work as a seamstress. As more white passengers boarded, the bus driver ordered Parks and three other Black passengers to move to the back of the bus to accommodate white riders. While the other three complied, Parks refused to give up her seat.
Her act of defiance was not spontaneous but rather a deliberate choice rooted in her belief in equality and human dignity. Parks knew that her refusal could lead to arrest, public ridicule, and potentially even physical harm. Indeed, she was arrested and fined for violating segregation laws.
Parks' action was honorable but difficult. It required immense courage and brought her significant hardship. She lost her job, received death threats, and faced economic struggles. However, she persisted in her stand against injustice, knowing it was the right thing to do.
Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement that lasted 381 days. The boycott brought economic pressure on the city and eventually led to the desegregation of Montgomery's public transit system.
Parks could have chosen an easier path. She could have given up her seat, avoiding confrontation and maintaining her job security. She could have pursued personal comfort and safety instead of challenging an unjust system. But she chose to do what she found honorable, despite the hard work, injury, and danger it brought her.
This story illustrates Seneca's point perfectly. Rosa Parks exemplified the good person who does what is honorable regardless of personal cost, refusing to be deterred by hardship or lured by the promise of an easier life at the expense of her principles.
