Seneca wrote hundreds of pages about how to grief and fear in 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.
Emotional overreaction should be avoided because it’s a sure recipe for disaster. In his essay “On the Constancy of the Wise,” Seneca calls for moral strength in the face of trouble.
In this context, I equate “moral strength” to “equanimity,” that is, the capacity to keep an equal temper in good and bad times. If we face severe problems, we should strive to keep a cool head, so that we can identify the best solution.
Panic reactions tend to prove counterproductive. Without sufficient serenity, it is simply not possible to assess the facts and weigh the alternatives correctly.
Since few problems are really life-threatening, we should take 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
Risk prevention and diversification, in modern terms, can provide us with solid protection against life’s misfortunes. Seneca does not employ a modern set of terms concerning risk management, but uses “self-sufficiency” and “self-discipline.”
Those words are not equivalent. They are pointing to two strategies that are complementary. In the 66th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca gives a wide meaning to the term “self-sufficiency.” In our century, I find the words “self-reliant” and “independent” better aligned with 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. Likewise, 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
Look for the positive aspects of problems, even if it 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 essay “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
Practise mentally by devising possible plans and mental reactions. Seneca did not employ the term “backup plans,” but I consider it the modern equivalent of his strategies. For this reason, I am using in this book the term “backup plans” instead of the original, ancient formulations.
There are sections in the 107th Letter to Lucilius and in the essay “On Providence,” where Seneca recommends 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 materialises.
Instead of improvising, we will already know 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, but good preparation plays in our favour. A Stoic mentality is not invincible, but can do a lot to prevent problems. Let us prepare solid backup plans. If those dangers materialise, we will be able to react fast and effectively, which is the closest we can get to invincibility.
Why Seneca favoured a modest lifestyle
Very often, functionality is preferable to luxury. Seneca offers this piece of advice in his 115th Letter to Lucilius, which revolves around avoiding ostentatious expenditures. When dealing with pain and suffering, we’ll be 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, a 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 are not primarily financial. We are rather talking about the comfort, happiness and reliability of a well-chosen social circle. Thus, let us steer away from relationships based on superficial aspects.
Seneca did not advise us to choose function over form, but I regard it as a proven way to minimise waste. Unless we train ourselves in this strategy, it will be 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 from our resources in other areas. I can only endorse Seneca’s recommendation of modest, solid habits particularly during good times.
If you are interested in applying rational ideas in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “Against all odds: How to achieve great victories in desperate times.”
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