Beware Strangers Bearing Gifts.

Cato and Marcus Aurelius refused gifts, inheritances, and payment from others, in order to keep their independence, which they valued more highly. Seneca, on the other hand, accepted many gifts over the years from the Emperor Nero, and discovered, too late, that he couldn't get away. Ultimately, it cost him his life. Whether it is a big salary, big gifts, outright bribes, or other form of payment, money carries with it an implicit burden of loyalty to the giver, and the temptation of it can ruin the best of us. Always remember: "If they pay you, they get to tell you what to do"

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