Review of 'Treatises On providence, On tranquillity of mind, On shortness of life, On happy life' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I read this in the process of trying to formulate my thesis topic. I am not sure I will ultimately use any of this for that purpose, but this was still a good read in trying to figure out some of Seneca’s thoughts. There are three essays in this volume: the titular one on the shortness of life, a letter of consolation to Seneca’s mother after his exile, and a treatise on tranquility framed as advice to a friend on living well.
I was interested in the first the most, but all of them were equally captivating. The first focuses mostly on time and the seeming shortage of it that we have in human life; but Seneca advises us to be careful not to misuse time. The proper usage of our lives, if done well and not with an eye towards external goods, can indeed feel longer than it really …
I read this in the process of trying to formulate my thesis topic. I am not sure I will ultimately use any of this for that purpose, but this was still a good read in trying to figure out some of Seneca’s thoughts. There are three essays in this volume: the titular one on the shortness of life, a letter of consolation to Seneca’s mother after his exile, and a treatise on tranquility framed as advice to a friend on living well.
I was interested in the first the most, but all of them were equally captivating. The first focuses mostly on time and the seeming shortage of it that we have in human life; but Seneca advises us to be careful not to misuse time. The proper usage of our lives, if done well and not with an eye towards external goods, can indeed feel longer than it really is. The wise person doesn’t run away from death but embraces it, and this freedom from fear liberates the hold the clock has on our life.
“The actual time you have – which reason can prolong though it naturally passes quickly – inevitably escapes you rapidly: for you do not grasp it or hold it back or try to delay that swiftest of all things, but you let it slip away as though it were something superfluous and replaceable.”
...
“Everyone hustles his life along, and is troubled by a longing for the future and weariness of the present. But the man who spends all his time on his own needs, who organizes every day as though it were his last, neither longs for nor fears the next day.”
Anxiety about the future is pointless for Seneca, because this derails us from what we should really be focusing on—the present, and reflecting on our past selves to determine how best to move forward. It doesn’t matter if the past is riddled with mistakes so long as we take care to act appropriately in the present. Some notion of improvement here is possible by making use of the past to counteract some of the unknown future.
Seneca also has some strong words for procrastinators like me:
“But putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortune’s control, and abandoning what lies in yours.”
By putting things off, we readily hand over our control over these things and let them control us instead—and this is a huge misuse of our capacity as rational beings. But in spite of possessing reason, akrasia exists for us too, Seneca… I do agree that the future shouldn’t be taken for granted, and it is worth reflecting on why we put things off—‘it’s a hassle to do this’ or ‘I don’t want to deal with it right now’ etc. But putting things off doesn’t make those problems disappear nor does it solve them; it just puts them off for an uncertain future, at which point the consequences might be more dire, or the difficulty in doing the thing well greater.
“Life is divided into three periods, past, present and future. Of these, the present is short, the future is doubtful, the past is certain.”
Being a philosopher is really the ticket for Seneca, because it allows us to go beyond the scope of our measly mortal lives—we are enriched by the words and thoughts of people long gone:
“Of all people only those are at leisure who make time for philosophy, only those are really alive. For they not only keep a good watch over their own lifetimes, but they annex every age to theirs. All the years that have passed before them are added to their own.”
…
“Since nature allows us to enter into a partnership with every age, why not turn from this brief and transient spell of time and give ourselves wholeheartedly to the past, which is limitless and eternal and can be shared with better men than we?”
There were also more thoughts on leisure, but one of the more striking ones is about how our life is arranged. No doubt this was as true for Seneca as it is today. He writes: “Life will be driven on through a succession of preoccupations: we shall always long for leisure, but never enjoy it.” Is the purpose of my life merely to study well so I can get a standard, industrial, 50-hours-a-week job for the next 30 to 40 years of my life, only to wistfully reminisce about my failed dreams and hobbies in retirement? I really hope it isn’t, and yet, that’s one of the best things one can accomplish in a lifetime in this age, if one isn’t suffering poverty, disease, or other misfortunes that prevent them from doing so.
His letter of consolation to Helvia, his mother, was also endearing to read. You can easily tell that Seneca had a close relationship with his family members, and that his concern for his mother is that of a dutiful son; his advice to her doesn’t pull any punches, however, and it is incredible to see what sort of advice he has for her. For starters, he says she is in a great position, because her lifetime has been a series of misfortunes—in other words, she is well-trained for withstanding the blows of fortune:
“That a soul which has conquered so many miseries will be ashamed to worry about one more wound in a body which already has so many scars.”
Ultimately it’s a huge reassurance for her that her son is doing well and not at all bothered by the conditions of his exile, in true Stoic fashion. He’s making the best of his situation, given that he’s embroiled as a political agent in the schemes of people with more power than him, and he bears it with seeming equanimity. The change of location is hardly a barrier for him—indeed, it is the way the mind itself prefers:
“How silly then to imagine that the human mind, which is formed of the same elements as divine beings, objects to movement and change of abode, while the divine nature finds delight and even self-preservation in continual and very rapid change.”
It certainly speaks to the experience of wanderlust, if nothing else. I can certainly sympathize with the lack of uncertainty and impulsiveness that drives me to try new things or be in new places, rather than sticking with the same routine—but I recognize that this is definitely not the case for everyone. Still, if the mind has this divine quality, then Seneca’s logic makes sense given that change, time, and divinity are all interconnected in his thought.
In the essay on tranquility, Seneca offers more advice on how to lead a well-balanced and lived life, as opposed to just going through the motions, or letting small setbacks define your life for you.
“But when something has assailed my mind, which is not used to being battered; when something has happened which either is unworthy of me (a common experience in every human life) or cannot easily be dealt with; when unimportant things become time-consuming; I take refuge in leisure and, just like weary flocks of animals, I make my way more quickly home.”
…
“There are those too who suffer not from moral steadfastness but from inertia, and so lack the fickleness to live as they wish, and just live as they have begun.”
There are also some more insights on how to deal with the circumstances that fate deals for us, and how, in spite of them, it is possible to have ambitions—though not too lofty—and pursue one’s accomplishments. Anticipating fate is a major tool in Seneca’s toolkit for this. “…unless you regard anything that can happen as bound to happen you give adversity a power over you…”
Even though it’s been thousands of years, much of Seneca’s advice is similarly applicable today. Tranquility is achieved not by having a perfect life, he tells us, but by having the right circumstances combined with the right attitude and goals—not being driven by inertia to stay in the same unpleasant job, or aiming at the impossible, but somewhere in between; not being defeated by a minor setback or potential disaster, but seeing it as an opportunity for growth and change. Ultimately, Seneca notes it’s just nice to have friends to unwind with and relax a little when you can—something most people can agree with.
“We must indulge the mind and from time to time allow it the leisure which is its food and strength. We must go for walks out of doors, so that the mind can be strengthened and invigorated by a clear sky and plenty of fresh air. At times it will acquire fresh energy from a journey by carriage and a change of scene, or from socializing and drinking freely.”
I have a ton more highlighted sections, but this is becoming more of a note depository than a review. This is a good edition with a good combination of essays, and the translation reads well. (…Yes, I really should go and read the Latin now, because I owe it to myself to not shirk my responsibilities for myself.)
