In contrast to modern philosophers, Seneca did not give a great importance to time. Like other Stoic thinkers, he did not fundamentally care whether his life was long or short. Seneca’s view of time is worth studying because it helps us understand key concepts of Stoicism.
In his 49th and 101st Letters to Lucilius, Seneca criticised people who waste their lives in trivial pursuits. On the other hand, the 49th and 101st Letters praise individuals that focus on self-improvement and learning, in particular Stoic philosophy.
Seneca had a negative view of distractions that prevent people from living a philosophical life. He regarded the human lifespan as sufficient for fulfilling life’s key purposes, provided that we do not get sidetracked by non-essential goals.
If we focus on proper ambitions, Seneca explained, we have the capacity “to achieve the greatest things.” People should be more afraid of wasting their life than of actually dying.
Sooner or later, we are all going to die. That’s something that we cannot avoid. However, more often than not, death takes people by surprise. When the time comes, they claim that their life has been too short and that they still have things to do, but have they used their years effectively?
Seneca: Neither hurried nor stressed
In his 49th and 101st Letters to Lucilius, Seneca gives a clear guideline for making the best of one’s days. He encourages us to define our lifetime mission, so that we can plan our days accordingly.
Seneca acknowledged that none of us can be sure how long we will live. We can do our best to stay healthy and strong, but even then, we may suffer a lethal accident. What to do in the face of such uncertainty?
We have no guarantee of living many years nor of achieving our goals, Seneca acknowledges, but that’s not the main issue. Our priority should be to make the best of each day, so that we are always ready to face death calmly, whenever it comes.
Seneca’s indifference to time is conveying one of the major insights of Stoicism, an insight difficult to comprehend in our century, where people feel constantly under time pressure.
Instead of hurried and preoccupied, the Stoic thinker is calm and focused. He doesn’t allow distractions to steal his days because he regards each day as unique and irreplaceable.
When his time came, Seneca was ready to die serenely and without lamentations. Since he had made the best of each, his task was done. It did not fundamentally matter whether his life would last one year, one month, or one week longer.
Seneca’s meaning of “living in the present”
Seneca’s call for living in the present does not mean that he would not make plans and investments for the future. His core idea is that we should seize each day to the utmost. If we get to live still for years or decades, great, but if we have the bad luck of suffering a lethal accident, so be it.
“People tend to waste their present time, worrying about the future,” Seneca remarked. Similarly, people devote long hours to lamenting errors and setbacks that occurred in the past.
For this reason, Seneca is encouraging us to strike a good balance between learning from the past, planning the future, and enjoying our life today.
To make the best use of our days, Seneca advises us to lead a philosophical life. He calls philosophy “a treasure” that is to be enjoyed each day. If we fail to use the treasure, we will be unnecessarily limiting our potential for happiness.
Seneca recommended regular periods of solitude as the best defence against distractions and confusion. From time to time, we should take a break to think about our goals and the path that we are following.
Are we advancing in the right direction, or are we getting sidetracked by secondary issues? If we are moving too slowly, how can we accelerate our progress? If we are stuck, how can we surmount the obstacles? Those are questions that we should be asking ourselves.
Seneca: How to put Stoic insights into practice
Seneca also warned us against demanding short-time results in our endeavours. Instead of making detailed plans with steps and delivery dates, we should focus on doing what needs to be done and let the results take care of themselves.
Virtue is the term that Seneca employs for doing what needs to be done. He asks his readers to practise virtue daily, instead of trying to gain influence or accumulate excessive wealth. He also mentions gossiping as an irredeemably wasteful activity.
In the 49th and 101st Letters to Lucilius, Seneca is implying that negative emotions such as anger or rage are enormous time-wasters. They render us blind to facts and impervious to logic, and drive us to make foolish decisions.
As countermeasure, Seneca advises us to ignore insults and minor injuries altogether. Unless we stay focused on important issues, we will soon be drowning in misery. Let’s not waste our precious time pursuing petty offenders, Seneca concludes.
Serenity cannot be achieved in one day, Seneca notes, but it is an objective worth pursuing. Serenity requires daily practice, that is, it calls for self-discipline, emotional balance and a good grasp of the principles of Stoicism.
I can only endorse Seneca’s call for daily practising the key Stoic insights. We just need to reserve a few minutes each day to go through the latest annoyances we are facing, and identify the correct emotional reaction.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice in all kinds of situations, I recommend my book “On becoming unbreakable.”
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