“On the Shortness of Life” by Seneca is a short book (106 pages)
published by Penguin Books – Great
ideas. The book has three essays : On the Shortness of Life, Consolation to Helvia , On Tranquillity of Mind. I could
pick up some advice from this book as follows.
Seneca writes:”It takes the whole of
life to learn how to live , and –
what will perhaps make you wonder more – it takes the whole of life to learn how to die.” Seneca is an educator of young people. He gives down to earth ,
practical everyday advice on how to live
a wise and joyful human life.
Organize
every day as if it were your last. Make
time for philosophy. Share your time with better men than you , men like
Socrates, Aristotle , Theophrastus, Epicurus, Zeno, Pythagoras, Democritus , Stoics and Cynics. None of these allows anyone to depart empty-handed. You will have
these friends whose advice
you can ask on the most
important or the most trivial matters.
The world expands on us when we
participate in the great wisdom of
the philosophical tradition.
“ If you
have the strength to tackle any one aspect of
misfortune you can tackle all.
When once virtue has toughened , the
mind renders it invulnerable on every side. If you consider that sexual
desire was given to man not for enjoyment but for the propagation of
the race, once you are free of this violent and destructive passion rooted in your vitals, every other
desire will leave you undisturbed.”
It is better
to conquer our grief than to deceive it. We must not evade it. The grief that has been conquered by reason
is calmed forever. Grief
which springs from love can
be diverted from its anguish by
philosophy or honourable occupation.
If you write
something , write it in a simple style for your own use and not for
publication. Less toil is needed if you study only for the day.
Dont travel too frequently.
Many people make one journey after the other. As Lucretius says:” Thus
each man ever flees himself”.
What is public
service? The man who teaches the young , who instils virtue in their minds, who
grips and restrains those who are
rushing madly after wealth and luxury, and
if nothing more, at least delays them ,
he too is doing a public service ,
though in private life. If you apply yourself to study you will avoid all
boredom with life , you will neither be a burden to yourself nor useless to
others. But if we shun all society and, abandoning the human race , live for
ourselves alone , this isolation , devoid of any interest , will be followed
by a dearth of worthwhile activity. Help
your fellow citizens with unspoken support. At banquets , play the part of a
good companion. Practice the duties of a man. Encourage others, cheer them on. Get
used to your circumstances, complain about them as little as possible, and
grasp whatever advantage they have to offer. What can happen to one can happen
to all.
A basic source of
anxiety is to assume a pose and not
reveal yourself openly to any one. Life
of those who live behind a mask , is never
pleasant or free from care. Yet , a life which is open too runs the risk of being scorned. But still
, it is better to be despised for simplicity than to suffer agonies from
everlasting pretence.
Mingle two things: solitude , and joining a crowd. There is
a role of relaxation , sleep, walks out
of doors, fresh air and a clear sky. A wavering mind should be surrounded by
attentive and unceasing care.
Seneca wrote
this book in the year 49 AD , bringing
up many Stoic principles. But most of
his advice is valid and practical even today.This is a true sign of a great
work. I recommend you to read it at
least once.
