Tag: resilience
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Taoism on patience and persistence
Neither patience nor persistence are regarded as virtuous in Taoism. Lao-Tzu would have been puzzled by people who wait for a long time for something good to happen when all signs are pointing in the opposite direction. Similarly, Yang-Tzu would never have persisted on a course of action that, time and again, has proven counterproductive.…
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Taoist metaphors about water
Flexibility and adaptability are, intellectually, modern ideas, immensely difficult to grasp for ancient and medieval minds. Even today, millions of people remain reluctant to regard each individual as master of his fate. Instead, they view one’s health, success or happiness as driven by factors outside one’s control. Although Taoism was created in the 6th century…
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What makes Taoism unique
It happens often that the practitioners of certain ideologies, philosophies or doctrines will claim that theirs is superior to all others. Taoism does not claim any such thing, but there is one element that enables it to deliver excellent results. I must leave to each reader to assess how Taoism compares to other systems of…
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Seneca’s approach to mental clarity
It is easy to keep a clear mind during a sunny day, when all elements are in our favour: good health, a regular income, old friends that appreciate us, and a loving family around us. It is a different story to keep our wits when things fall apart and keep getting worse. Seneca (4 BC-65…
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Seneca on how to deal with disappointments
Disappointments can have dire consequences. I am referring to the victims of lies, deception or treason, to people who find themselves left behind when their rightful expectations crash. I pity those who prove unable to deal with disappointments and get back on their feet because their lives may be shortened. Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) provided…
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Seneca on dealing with heartbreak and grief
Romantic literature defends the thesis that it is better to go through ups and downs in life rather than leading a smooth and peaceful existence. I have my doubts about their exaltation of adventure, but when it comes to real life, none of us is afforded the luxury of perfect smoothness and peace. Seneca (4…
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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 misconceptions about mental strength
It’s useless to be strong in situations where strength plays no meaningful role. Will mental strength alone help you achieve your business, professional and social goals? Will it render you healthier and happier? I very much doubt it. Seneca viewed mental strength as the answer to all questions. How do we minimize trouble in life?…
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Seneca’s thoughts on mental strength
Stoicism is the only philosophy that aims at increasing one’s mental strength. Its founders, Zeno of Citium (334-262 BC) and Cleanthes (330-230 BC) devoted more efforts to avoiding emotional misery than to achieving success and happiness. Seneca followed the line of thought of his predecessors, but his recommendations are more subtle. It’s not hard to…
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What Seneca got wrong about resilience
I am sceptical of remedies that cure all types of sickness; and when it comes to philosophy, I’m sceptical of prescriptions that can assuage profound suffering. In the case of Seneca, resilience was the universal prescription. What did Seneca get wrong about resilience? Is it not true that resilience can help anyone deal with setbacks…
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Recent Posts
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