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Seneca’s philosophy explained
Despite his extensive philosophising, Seneca never showed a systematic approach to philosophy. His Letters to Lucilius employ hundreds of times the word “virtue,” but do not connect it to metaphysics, epistemology, politics, aesthetics or to the Aristotelian tradition. Seneca was a gifted writer, but not a systematic thinker. His goal was to prevent misery more…
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Seneca’s advice on staying calm under pressure
How many people do you know that are able to remain calm under extreme pressure? My guess is that you know very few. I can count those I know with the fingers of one hand. Serenity is not taught in school, and when people most need it, then it is far too late to acquire…
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Seneca on overcoming doubts and fears
I pity those who ignore the lessons from antique thinkers because they are leaving remarkable wisdom on the table. It is a sign of deep ignorance to categorise Socrates (470-399 BC), Plato (427-347 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC) as impractical, and to sustain that their works are no longer worth studying. Curiously enough, Seneca often…
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Seneca on handling pessimism
Amongst all insights gained by Seneca, his recipe for handling pessimism is particularly remarkable. I find it perennial in its validity and universal in its applications. Few philosophers have analysed this issue as profoundly as Seneca, and even fewer have come up with useful recommendations. I can sum up Seneca’s recipe for handling pessimism in…
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Seneca’s advice on making good decisions
The best advice provided by Seneca concerns the method for making decisions. His recommendations are condensing decades of philosophical reflection, and a profound knowledge of Ancient Greek and Roman history. Seneca’s advice is straightforward: Keep going in the right direction and do not dwell on difficulties and setbacks. He had seen too many of his…
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Seneca’s mistake in the pursuit of wisdom
I tend to examine philosophers as closely as I examine their philosophy. Did they preach by example? Did they put their ideas successfully into practice? Did they lead a happy life and inspired their friends and family members? Seneca laboured intensively in the pursuit of wisdom. He devoted four decades of his life to reflecting…
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Seneca’s advice on the pursuit of wisdom
Unlike most thinkers, Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) spent as much time selling philosophy as doing philosophy. The reason is not hard to fathom. In his youth, he had fallen severely ill, only to realize that none of his friends or family members could give him the encouragement he needed. Seneca had listened to their messages…
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Seneca’s advice on dealing with uncertainty
Most philosophical doctrines are worthless for dealing with uncertainty. They fail to recognize emerging threats and, when people wake up, it’s too late to do anything. If we want to have a successful, happy life, we need to know what to do exactly in order to deal effectively with uncertainty. Seneca came up with the…
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Seneca’s advice on setbacks
In history, few philosophers have come with workable, solid advice about dealing with setbacks. Socrates (470-399 BC), Plato (427-347 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC) had given little thought to this matter, concentrating their efforts on logic and epistemology rather than on human psychology. Seneca was the first philosopher in history to come up with a…
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Seneca’s formula for achieving tranquillity
The solution to worry must begin by understanding its cause and how it builds over time. Seneca grasped the nature of preoccupations better than most philosophers in history, but his recommendations need to be adapted to our century. Seneca attributed mental strain to the human tendency to go too far, run too quickly, and expect…
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