In history, Stoicism was the first philosophy that regarded resilience as a crucial virtue. Every Stoic principle rests on the assumption that resilience delivers important benefits. Why did Stoic philosophers place resilience at the centre of their ethics?
Because their pessimistic expectations had led them to view conflict, setbacks and poverty as normal events. Stoics expect life to get from bad to worse, with little hope of turning things around.
They consider resilience as a major virtue because it enables people to survive, to keep trudging forward in the face of pain and misery. In fact, one could regard the strengthening of one’s soul as the central purpose of Stoicism.
Seneca took over this principle from earlier Stoic philosophers and magnified it. His advice for becoming psychologically strong fills each page of his essays such as “On the Shortness of Life” and of his Letters to Lucilius.
Does resilience guarantee happiness? No, it does not, but it constitutes a prerequisite of happiness. It enables individuals to deal with negative events without growing discouraged.
Seneca: Why resilience is a major virtue
In his 78th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca explains that resilience plays a crucial role in human happiness. From the 78th Letter, I draw the conclusion that, if we acquire this virtue, we’ll never stop smiling at life, even when confronted with adversity.
Seneca did not become a Stoic overnight. In his early teens, he had familiarized himself with the ideas of Zeno of Citium (334-262 BC) and Cleanthes (330-230 BC). He was relatively well versed on the principles of Stoicism, at least in theory.
His resilience only developed when he was confronted with severe adversity. I am referring to the pulmonary condition that he faced in his twenties, and the exile he had to endure on the island of Corsica shortly upon his forty-fifth birthday.
Seneca described the key Stoic skill as re-framing setbacks, disasters and personal losses as opportunities. I must hasten to clarify that Stoics are not preaching positive thinking. They are not affirming that everything, including catastrophes, is for the best.
When Seneca speaks about viewing losses as opportunities, he is referring to opportunities for personal growth. A loving husband would not deny that it is a disaster to lose his wife in an accident, but he would still regard the event as a chance to increase his resilience, that is, to strengthen his soul.
How can we become more resilient? Seneca answers this question in his essay “On the Happy Life.” We will increase our resilience much faster, he explains, if we learn to regard all problems and hassles of life as normal, and to a great extent, as inevitable.
Seneca: How can we increase our resilience?
Seneca would not console the widower for the unexpected loss of his wife by telling him that, one day, they’ll be reunited in heaven. Nor would he bluntly advise the widower to stop crying and look instead for a new wife.
Stoicism is more short-term oriented than religion and more sensitive than materialism. Seneca would have acknowledged the tragedy and conveyed his condolences to the widower.
At the same time, Seneca would have encouraged him to re-frame the tragedy as an opportunity for personal growth. If the widower learns to cope with the loss, he will be strengthening his soul. Subsequently, the newly-found strength will help him deal effectively with any other setback that may come his way.
Those unfamiliar with Stoicism may find it unworkable for normal human beings to turn problems into a training ground for strengthening one’s soul.
For Seneca, this principle was close to being self-evident. From the 11th Letter to Lucilius, I draw the conclusion that we could use adversity to train our soul in the same way that we can engage in exercise to train our body.
Seneca gave his most detailed advice about resilience in his essay “Consolation to Marcia.” The title has been given by scholars after Seneca’s death. It was originally a long letter to a woman named Marcia: after losing her son, she had fallen prey to prolonged grief.
I find it useful to sum up Seneca’s argumentation because it is providing us a formula to increase our resilience. The letter to Marcia starts with acknowledging the pain inflicted by the loss, but quickly turns to dispensing practical advice.
Seneca: Resilience is the best protection
Seneca is telling Marcia that, in fact, many parents lose their children due to a variety of reasons. Sometimes because of illness. Other times because of war. Rare is the person that can claim that his loss and suffering possess unique characteristics. When Seneca wrote to Marcia, she had been mourning her son for three years. Indeed, she had suffered a major loss, but thousands of parents would suffer a similar loss in times of war.
Seneca warns Marcia against endless grief. Her prolonged mourning won’t bring her son back to life, but will surely ruin Marcia’s future. It will prevent her from interacting normally with people, and render her useless as a spouse and mother.
Resilience is the best reaction to setbacks, Seneca says. I would add that we should look at the future and make the best of each day. It is up to us to find ways to cope with problems, find solutions, circumvent the issues, or change our goals.
Instead of getting lost in lamentations, Seneca advises, we should analyse the situation rationally, choose the best course of action, and move forward. Resilience is itself a major virtue, he argued, because it enables us to enjoy life to the utmost.
In some aspects, I regard the 97th Letter to Lucilius as a complement to the “Consolation to Marcia.” It recommends us to imitate our ancestors by training our bodies through physical work, and our minds through philosophical study.
Seneca encourages us to imitate Socrates (469-399 BC), a man who did not own much, but lived happily. Socrates had embraced a simple, low-cost lifestyle enabling him to pursue his interest in philosophy.
Even in moments of adversity, Socrates did not modify the direction he had chosen. Despite criticism and rejection, he just kept going. Socrates would use adversity as a training ground for his personal growth, without letting setbacks ruin his mood.
Seneca viewed philosophy as a means to render us stronger, as an armour that renders us immune to discouragement. I am sure that Marcia found Seneca’s advice hard to follow, but did she come up with a better course of action? I don’t think so.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “Undisrupted: How highly effective people deal with disruptions.”
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