![]() ![]() It is with a similar reminder that Stoic Emperor Marcus Aurelius would urge himself in his Meditations, realizing the limited amount of time we have: “You could leave life right now. He implores us to be suspicious of any activity that will take a lot of time and be prepared to defend ourselves against unworthy pursuits. When Seneca says to be “miserly” with your time, he means it. Wasting time is the worst thing we can do to ourselves, but of course, there are many things and people that would take away our precious time. You squander time as if you drew from a full and abundant supply, though all the while that day which you bestow on some person or thing is perhaps your last.” “You live as if you were destined to live forever, no thought of your frailty ever enters your head, of how much time has already gone by you take no heed. The main reason that we do so, Seneca argues, we waste so much of our time is because we forget that it is limited, that we are going to die. Yet we find ourselves trading our only life away to make others like us, to get money (which we cannot use in the grave), and be lazy, distracted and entertained. “In guarding their fortune men are often closefisted, yet, when it comes to the matter of wasting time, in the case of the one thing in which it is right to be miserly, they show themselves most extravagant.”ĭoes it make any sense to value anything above your only life? Seneca certainly doesn’t think so. Just like Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, another imminently readable Stoic text, it will mark you forever if you let it. ![]() He is best known for this essay but also for his Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, better known as Moral Letters to Lucilius, which we also highly recommend.īelow you will find key lessons from the essay, great quotes as well as our suggested translation to get. He is also infamous for serving as an advisor to Nero, one of the most cruel emperors. We see this when Seneca is imploring Paulinus to transition from taking stock of the grain supply to taking stock of his life.Īnd if you’re new to Stoic philosophy, here is a bit of background on Seneca (although you are welcome to read our longer profile): Seneca was one of the three most important Stoic philosophers, along with Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus. What we find in reading the essay is that Paulinus was praefectus annonae, or the official who superintended the grain supply of Rome. This is most likely Pompeius Paulinus, a knight of Arelate and historians date it around 49 AD. How do we regain our time back? It is by studying philosophy, working towards meaningful goals, and not putting off the enjoyment of life.īefore we continue with the essay’s key lessons, a bit of background: De Brevitate Vitae, as it is known in Latin, is in fact addressed to Paulinus. He argues that we have truly lived only a short time because our lives were filled with business and stress. Seneca urges us to examine the problems that result in life seeming to pass by too quickly, such as ambition, giving all our time to others, and engaging in vice. It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. In fact, perhaps Seneca’s most famous quote comes from this essay: It is a required reading for anyone who wishes to live to their full potential, and it is a manifesto on how to get back control of your life and live it to the fullest. In his moral essay, On the Shortness of Life, Seneca, the Stoic philosopher and playwright, offers us an urgent reminder on the non-renewability of our most important resource: our time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |