Sunday, 15 June 2025

Seneca – On the Shortness of Life – Comment.


This volume of work is part of Penguin’s
Great Ideas series.  Included here are three letters from Seneca entitled On the Shortness of Life, Consolation to Helvia and On Tranquility of Mind. Many familiar Stoic themes are discussed such as how are we to live? Understanding our true natures, and how reason and morality are areas of existence that we should strive to practice and maintain to live a meaningful life  

In On the Shortness of Life, Seneca provides his central proposition: 

Human beings including a few great minds complain on the shortness of their lives. Generally, we only begin to figure out the why of our existence and purpose, when suddenly it all comes to an end. He writes: 

So it is: we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it. Just as when ample and princely wealth falls to a bad owner it is squandered in a moment, but wealth however modest, if entrusted to a good custodian, increases with use, so our lifetime extends amply if you manage it properly. (P.2) 

How does a person “squander” their lives making it feel like it has passed in a blink of an eye? Seneca provides us with several examples. When a person is “gripped” by insatiable greed. It can also be wasted by the pursuit of “useless” tasks, such as political ambitions, attaining power where you are constantly at the mercy of the judgement of others. Overindulgence in bodily desires, such as wine, expensive foods and a preoccupation with sex. To constantly seek the approval of others, creating a “image” of the everyman, pleasing all the people all the time is to squander one’s life.  

What should we place our attentions on to experience a meaningful life? 

In essence it is to seek and understand the nature of oneself and existence.  

Seneca writes: 

You really should leave the ground and turn your thoughts to these studies. Now while the blood is hot you should make your way with vigor to better things. In this kind of life, you will find much that is worthy your study: the love and practice of the virtues, forgetfullness of the passions, the knowledge of how to live and die, and a life of deep tranquility. (P.31) 

To be mindful of one’s life in the moment and use this time in the pursuit of virtue and understanding our own natures, we can live a long life, no longer afraid of death.  

Personally, I have always had great respect for the Stoics. A philosophy of great ideas that we can put into practice in our everyday lives. These words are not meant to be read once and discarded. We should go back to them time and again to refresh our notions in how to live a meaningful life.  

No comments:

Post a Comment

Seneca – On the Shortness of Life – Comment.

This volume of work is part of Penguin’s Great Ideas series .   Included here are three letters from Seneca e ntitled On the Shortness of...