A friend of mine, who is practising martial arts, told me that his master is requiring students to iron their martial arts attire before going to class. I believe that there is a Korean word to designate the robe and pants that students must wear, but I will just call it “attire.”
During the exercises in class, the student’s martial arts attire will inevitably get ruffled. I asked what’s the point of ironing one’s pants before exercising, and my friend replied that “it’s a question of self-discipline.”
Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) had a similar view of self-discipline. I am fairly sure that he didn’t iron his clothes every day before going for a walk, but he did similar things. In fact, he wrote so extensively about self-discipline that it became of the pillars of his philosophy.
What’s the point of self-discipline in Seneca’s philosophy? He gave the answer in his 13th Letter to Lucilius. The purpose of self-discipline is invulnerability. We can become masters of our life, explained Seneca, if we keep our thoughts and actions under control.
Seneca wanted to elevate himself and his readers to a point “where bad luck cannot longer attain them.” The objective of self-discipline is to build “a castle unassailable by adversity.” It is a psychological castle with high parapets and towers capable of withstanding fierce attacks.
The rationale for Seneca’s self-discipline
When making this recommendation, Seneca was speaking from first-hand experience because he had seen his career and personal life turned upside down by external factors.
Seneca’s fall from grace in the early Roman Empire had been spectacular. In a short period, he had gone from imperial chancellor to deportee. He had gone from the luxuries of Rome to exile on an island in the Mediterranean.
Can self-discipline protect us from suffering when we face a severe reversal of fortune? Seneca thought so and viewed self-discipline as the best training method against suffering.
Seneca’s writings emphasise that misfortunes, disasters and bad luck will have little bearing on individuals who have been training themselves to be resilient.
We can draw great benefits from those mental preparations, explains Seneca, because when adversity occurs, “it won’t take us by surprise.” He is referring to a general mental preparation, not to adopting specific measures against all kinds of disaster.
Seneca’s philosophy of self-discipline seems credible at first sight, but contains an error that cannot be cured. When making his recommendation for self-discipline, Seneca didn’t know the concept of opportunity cost.
The missing element in Seneca’s self-discipline
I am not accusing Seneca of ignorance or negligence since none of his contemporaries had ever heard of the concept of opportunity cost. No wonder, since it was discovered hundreds of years later by Friedrich von Wieser (1851-1926).
Wieser contributed greatly to economic analysis by pointing out that, when we make decisions, we tend to consider not only the visible costs, but also the opportunity costs.
For example, if we opt for enrolling in university to pursue a four-year degree, we can calculate the visible costs by adding the costs of tuition, textbooks, accommodation, food and other necessities.
However, our decision also entails opportunity costs, that is, the cost of not doing other things during those four years. Our energies could have been devoted to a full-time job, to starting a business, or to relocating to China and learning Chinese.
The concept discovered by Wieser leads us to conclude that visible costs could be equal or similar for different people, but opportunity costs can vary widely. Students may spend roughly the same on tuition, books and other necessities, but only a few would consider relocating to China and learning Chinese.
The true cost of Seneca’s self-discipline
Seneca only considered visible costs and advantages in his recommendation for self-discipline. His 13th Letter to Lucilius advised to practise self-discipline daily and “prepare ourselves mentally for future setbacks.”
That sounds like good advice, that is, if we have nothing better to do with our time. I am sure that, if we practise self-discipline each day as predicated by Seneca, we could become “resilient during periods of adversity.”
Seneca foresaw clearly the advantages of self-discipline, but overlooked the opportunity cost. Indeed, we could be struck by disaster and wiped out tomorrow, but how likely is that? Does it justify the effort of practising self-discipline all the time in all areas of life?
Many of us have embraced self-discipline in a few areas of our life, but not in everything else. I personally consider it sub- optimal to devote vast efforts to secondary issues. If setbacks ensue, I will cope with them the best I can and then move on.
Seneca viewed philosophy as “a training method to fend off suffering in the future.” He had good intentions, but underrated the cost of practising self-discipline all the time in all areas of life. I can only thank Friedrich von Wieser for discovering the concept that helps us see the whole picture.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice in all areas of life, I recommend you my book “Undisrupted: How highly effective people deal with disruptions.”