Learning from Seneca?

Stoicism is the ancient Greek philosophy that explains the usefulness of self-control and mental strength in handling with life’s ambiguities and challenges.

Perhaps the most remarkable among the Stoic philosophers is Seneca the Younger (4BC–AD65). 

Seneca embodied (and was thoroughly conscious of) the chaotic complexities that make up our human nature.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca, identified commonly as Seneca, was a stoic philosopher and rhetorician. He’s one of the first stoics for which there are significant literary remains for us to investigate.

Seneca was a well-established Roman writer and educator, who, upon returning to Rome after a decade of being exiled, became the tutor for the young Nero, who would go on to become one of history’s most notorious leaders. (He would finally order Seneca to choose his own life, considering that he was part of a conspiracy to kill him.)

One of my favorite books is Seneca, Letters from a Stoic, I have recommended many of my colleagues to read this book.

His thoughts influenced historical personalities such as Pascal, Francis Bacon, and Montaigne, and continue to do the same as on today. Nassim Taleb went so far as to compose a full chapter on Seneca in his book Anti- fragile.

A few of his statement is worth to read again and again and take action for our personal progress.

On Ego control:

Seneca noted,

“We agree with those who call us best and wisest, although we know they often utter many falsehoods: we indulge ourselves so greatly that we want to be praised for a virtue which is the opposite of our behavior. A man hears himself called ‘most merciful’ while he is inflicting torture. So it follows that we don’t want to change because we believe we are already excellent.”

“The chief obstacle is that we are quick to be satisfied with ourselves. If we find someone to call us good men, cautious and principled, we acknowledge him. We are not content with a moderate eulogy but accept as our due whatever flattery has shamelessly heaped upon us. We agree with those who call us best and wisest, although we know they often utter many falsehoods: we indulge ourselves so greatly that we want to be praised for a virtue which is the opposite of our behavior.”

“Believe me it is better to understand the balance-sheet of one’s own life than of the corn trade.”

Seneca On Mentor-ship:

“Choose someone whose way of life as well as words, and whose very face as mirroring the character that lies behind it, have won your approval. Be always pointing him out to yourself either as your guardian or as your model. There is a need, in my view, for someone as a standard against which our characters can measure themselves. Without a ruler to do it against, you won’t make crooked straight.”

Self-worth is not a material success:

“For the wise man does not consider himself unworthy of any gifts from Fortune’s hands: he does not love wealth but he would rather have it; he does not admit into his heart but into his home; and what wealth is his he does not reject but keeps, wishing it to supply greater scope for him to practice his virtue.”

On Self control:

"Our place in the world–and everything we possess–is subject to change and, therefore, much of life is outside our own control.

He didn’t lose too much sleep worrying about areas that were not controllable, but instead focused on areas that he could influence and impact."

“You have power over your mind–not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

"Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body"

Hang on to your youthful enthusiasms — you’ll be able to use them better when you’re older.

Every night before going to sleep, we must ask ourselves: what weakness did I overcome today? What virtue did I acquire?

Finding a role model:

As Seneca wrote,

“So choose yourself a Cato–or, if Cato seems too severe for you, a Laelius, a man whose character is not quite so strict. Choose someone whose way of life as well as words, and whose very face as mirroring the character that lies behind it, have won your approval. Be always pointing him out to yourself either as your guardian or as your model. There is a need, in my view, for someone as a standard against which our characters can measure themselves. Without a ruler to do it against you won’t make crooked straight.”

Associate with people who are likely to improve you.

Use the time properly:

“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. 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.”

“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested… So it is: we are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it… Life is long if you know how to use it.”

“But life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future.”

On Life, Seneca writes:

“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy.”

“People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.”

“The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” — Seneca

“We are more often frightened than hurt, and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.” — Seneca

Time on Self-reflection:

Seneca writes in Letters from a Stoic:

“Retire into yourself as much as possible. Associate with people who are likely to improve you. Welcome those whom you are capable of improving. The process is a mutual one. People learn as they teach.”

Seneca was the guiding hand of Roman Empire, let us also learn from him.

Individuals who are in coaching and leadership roles will get immense benefits by sharing these with others.

We need to keep reading this book occasionally it will help us professionally, this book has supported me on several occasion to made whatever I am today. Many thanks to Seneca.