Seneca's Emotional Reactions

Seneca is adhering to a long standing stoic idea about emotions, which is that they are ultimately grounded in reason. He says our emotional reactions must involve some kind of judgment, an assent to the way things seem to us. It is precisely for this reason that it feels so alienating when our reason does judge that we should retaliate or exact revenge. Then anger takes over and we lose control. This loss of control is what seneca always wants us to avoid,. Whether it is occasioned by anger, pleasure, luxury or grief he exhorts us to face not only insult, but all turns of fortune with as much serenity as we can manage.