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…

How can we grow in effectiveness and happiness? Is there a proven method we can use to improve our station in life? Can we rely on advice given by philosophers in previous centuries? Seneca was already aware of those questions when he wrote his Letters to Lucilius. His answers are concrete and coherent, and have…

Amongst all Stoic philosophers, Seneca has attained the widest reach and popularity. The reason is not hard to figure out. He simply wrote more and better than all others put together. Seneca devoted more than two decades of his life to writing. At the beginning, he wrote plays for the theatre, tragedies, that don’t deserve…

Before praising the advantages of a philosophy, we should devote equal efforts to assessing its disadvantages. Few people enjoy looking at the risks of projects because the outcome can prove depressing, but rational decision making requires us to look before we jump. Seneca was partially aware of the flaws in his philosophy, but failed to…

Stoicism tends to make a deeper impression on individuals who enjoy solitude, or at least, who don’t dislike it. The reason is not difficult to fathom. Solitude begets thoughtfulness, which then begets a drive for self-improvement. Seneca was conscious of this fact. In his 7th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca advises that, without a fair measure…

High productivity depends on quality-consciousness. There is simply no other way to sell sizeable amounts of products and services at a profit. If we do not deliver quality, customers are going to complain, and we will have to devote our resources to satisfying those complaints. Thus, if we want to achieve our goals in business…

In his Letters to Lucilius and essays, Seneca gave a detailed recipe for personal fulfilment. His insights can be applied still today. I am going to summarize them in the next paragraphs. When necessary, I am adapting Seneca’s ideas to our century. The search for personal fulfilment is a lifetime mission. It is not a…