Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war.

The saying expresses a core Stoic idea associated with Seneca: adversity is not merely to be endured but can be welcomed as the arena in which virtue proves itself. “Brave men” (the morally courageous) do not measure life by comfort or external success; they take hardship as a test that strengthens character, much as soldiers find their excellence and honor in the very conditions—danger, struggle, uncertainty—that others fear. The comparison to war underscores that courage is an active disposition, not passive endurance: the Stoic aims to meet misfortune with steadiness, even a kind of glad readiness, because it offers an opportunity to practice fortitude, self-command, and resilience.