Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) wrote hundreds of pages about reducing stress during difficult times. Modern readers can benefit from Seneca’s wise recommendations for dealing with pain and suffering. I am going to summarise those recommendations to the extent that we can still apply them today.
[1] Emotional overreaction should be avoided because it’s a sure recipe for disaster. In his dialogue “On the Constancy of the Wise,” Seneca calls for equanimity in the face of trouble.
He is giving the term “equanimity” its original meaning: the capacity to keep an equal temper in good and bad times. If we face severe problems, we should strive at keeping a cool head, so that we can identify the best solution.
Panic reactions tend to prove counterproductive. Without a good deal of serenity, it’s simply not possible to assess the facts and weigh the alternatives correctly.
Few problems are really life-threatening and we should take the necessary time to reflect. Seneca regards it as particularly foolish to react heavily to insults or moral injuries. We should refrain from reacting in a manner that makes problems worse.
Seneca’s call for self-sufficiency
[2] Risk prevention and diversification can provide us great protection against life’s misfortunes. Seneca does not employ a modern set of terms concerning risk management, but uses the words “self-sufficiency” and “self-discipline.”
In fact, those words are equivalent. They are pointing to the same strategies, but viewed from different angles. Seneca gives a wide meaning to the term “self-sufficiency.” In our century, I the words “self-reliant” and “independent” correspond better to the ancient meaning.
When Seneca speaks about how to protect ourselves against the ups and downs of life, he is calling for serenity as much as he is calling for risk prevention. If we do not get into troubled waters, we do not need to fear shipwreck and drowning.
If we keep a reasonable financial reserve, we do not need to fear business upheavals. Similarly, if we diversify our assets, a downturn won’t affect them equally. Nowadays, geographical diversification can be implemented far more easily than during Seneca’s lifetime.
Seneca and the path to resilience
[3] Look for the positive aspects of problems, even if might be hard to find any. I’m not claiming that all problems lead to a positive outcome, but we should take a step back and ask how the situation could turn to our benefit.
Seneca says that, at the very least, problems can be used to increase our resilience. His dialogue “On the Constancy of the Wise” states this point repeatedly. I find it however unrealistic to expect worried, overwhelmed victims to rejoice about their enhanced resilience.
In my experience, the most beneficial aspect of problems is that they make us contemplate our routine with new eyes. They prompt us to question whether we are pursuing the right goals, implementing the right plan, and making enough progress.
Seneca didn’t have sufficient historical perspective to grasp the benefits of emigration and other radical changes in lifestyle driven by unexpected problems. In the absence of those issues, people would have kept doing the same, depriving themselves of the possibility of rapid personal growth.
Seneca and mental preparation
[4] Practise mentally about devising back-up plans. There is a famous section in “On the Constancy of the Wise,” where we find Seneca’s recommendation to think pessimistically. He asks the reader to imagine that things go wrong, so that he can train himself to deal with the situation.
We can gain enormously in self-confidence or effectiveness if we follow Seneca’s advice. A mental exercise in pessimism is meant to render us stronger and sharper if the problem ever materializes.
Instead of improvising, we will know already which actions to take. In particular, says Seneca, it’s helpful to train ourselves to place problems in perspective, asking us how long they are likely to persist before we find a solution.
Seneca exaggerates somewhat when he writes that “a strong mind is invincible,” but preparation plays in our favour. Let us devote some efforts today to preparing back-up plans. If those dangers materialise, we’ll be able to react fast and effectively, which is the closest we can get to “invincibility.”
Why Seneca favoured a modest lifestyle
[5] In crucial choices, function should be preferred to form. Seneca offers this piece of advice in his 115th Letter to Lucilius that revolves around avoiding ostentatious expenditures. When dealing with pain and suffering, we are in a stronger position if we have optimised our lifestyle and created a margin of safety.
Seneca emphasises the moral aspects of a parsimonious life, but I wouldn’t underestimate the practical advantages. There is a strong sense of self-confidence to be drawn from making an array of wise choices.
I mean choosing a home, a car, spouse and friends that are in line with our true needs. It is unwise to spend too much on a car purchase or maintenance, even if the car is beautiful. I can say the same about a home.
Concerning the choice of spouse and friends, the costs aren’t financial primordially. We are rather talking about the comfort, happiness and reliability of a well-chosen social circle. Let us steer away from relationships based on superficial aspects.
Seneca advises us to choose function over form because it’s a proven way to avoid deception. If we don’t train ourselves to make wise choices, it is difficult to resist the allures of fashion, prestige and social acceptance.
When things turn from bad to worse, superficial choices can become liabilities. Exceedingly expensive cars and homes are to blame for detracting our resources from more crucial areas. I can only endorse Seneca’s recommendation of modest habits in particular during good times.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice in all sort of situations, I recommend you my book “Against all odds: How to achieve great victories in desperate times.”