Cooking recipes are hard to carry out perfectly the first time if the process is too complex. Even if the recipe is described in great detail, one must deal with variability in the ingredients in terms of quality and freshness, cooking temperature, etc.
Seneca gave philosophical recipes that are not any easier to carry out than haute-cuisine recipes. He did write down his recommendations with profuse detail, but we must nonetheless adapt those to our own circumstances.
In his 77th and 101st Letters to Lucilius, Seneca provides an important clue about how to achieve balance. He encourages us to look at life from the perspective of death, so that we can identify those things that are really important, and those that waste our time.
Seneca’s advice can help us acquire serenity, first of all. His writings do not speak about a balanced perspective, but if we get the numbers right, we would automatically strike the right balance. It all starts with our being realistic regarding our life expectancy.
Seneca’s perspective on balance
We should not make an assumption that is too short because it would destroy our motivation to do anything productive. I would not expect a high motivation from people who believe that they have no future.
In the Middle Ages, especially in the ninth century, some people were convinced that the world was about to end. As a result, those people stopped labouring the fields, building new homes, and all other productive activities.
Seneca was trying to prevent individuals from adopting an exaggerated short-term attitude. Barring a strong reason, it is not rational to think that we are about to die, or that the world is about to end.
When Seneca speaks of adopting the right perspective, he is referring to a normal life expectancy. Nowadays, many people live to become ninety or longer. I would take a life expectancy of ninety, for instance, as a reasonable perspective to assess our lifestyle.
Seneca is conveying the message that we have enough days in our life to do all important things, even if we make mistakes from time to time, or take detours to reach our goals. If we assume nowadays a lifetime of ninety, we have lots of time to pursue our goals.
Seneca and the time aspects of balance
This means that we should not exaggerate adversity and make decisions that might prove erroneous in the long term. Cato the Younger (95-46 BC), a Roman senator, decided to kill himself when he learned that Julius Caesar had emerged victorious at Thapsus.
However, Cato’s decision revealed itself as foolish because Caesar himself was assassinated two years later. If Cato had stayed alive, for instance by retiring to a quiet place, his exile would have been short. He did not need to kill himself.
Seneca encourages us to find the right balance between our work and spare time, family and friends, self-improvement and learning, rest and exercise. We must find the balance ourselves amongst the different elements. There is no universal formula.
The perspective of death, however long in the future, helps us determine our priorities. Should we invest large efforts in a fascinating project that has zero economic potential? When it comes to entertainment, how much is too much?
Scipio Africanus (236-183 BC) preceded Seneca by almost two centuries. Despite his high reputation as the general who had defeated Hannibal at Zama, Scipio went into retirement far away from Rome.
He regarded life in Rome as wasteful and annoying, and did not foresee any improvement in the future. Thus, he retired to live in Liternum, close to Naples. The distance to Rome is one hundred and eighty kilometres.
Seneca and the emotional aspects of balance
Seneca also underlines the need for equanimity to achieve a balanced life. If we allow fear or anger to control our mind, we will make wasteful decisions. His essay “On Anger” warns us against exaggerated emotions and the harm they can cause.
In times of trouble, says Seneca, we need calmness to think clearly and find the best solution. When we are under pressure, it is crucial to keep a cool head, so that we can stay balanced in our life.
Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) was known for his extraordinary, uncanny calmness in crisis situations. On one occasion, during his invasion of Italy, his soldiers rebelled. The mutiny couldn’t have taken place at a worse time, but Caesar stayed calm.
His balanced attitude enabled him to solve the problem in a peaceful manner and continue his military campaign. If he had lost his nerve, he would have been surely killed.
Seneca warns us especially against overreacting to irritating events. We shouldn’t let little annoyances bring our days out of balance. When faced with obstacles, we should stick to our long-term priorities and keep trudging forward.
Seneca and equanimity in practice
Four centuries earlier, Socrates (470-399 BC) had spoken in favour of keeping an even temper. Even when treated badly or inconsiderately, we should think twice before retaliating. More often than not, retaliation or escalation will prove wasteful.
Seneca’s perspective of death should be rather formulated as the perspective of a lifetime. We should imagine ourselves old and wise, looking back, and assessing how we have employed our decades. Have we defined the right priorities?
The Stoic tradition conveys this insight in a powerful manner. It advises us to look at the past calmly because it cannot be changed, like a pot that has already been broken. Instead, we should look at the future and make changes to prevent problems from reoccurring.
Philosophy offers the solution, but it is never an automatic solution. Seneca’s recipe needs to be fine-tuned, so that it suits our needs and objectives. Self-awareness is a first, crucial step in finding balance in life.
If you are interested in applying rational ideas in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “The philosophy of builders.”
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