An unfinished post about my attempt to summarize my most important takeaways of Seneca’s letter to Lucilius.
- Death acts on you every day. Rather than thinking of death as an event, think of it as a consumer of time. Every day that you have lived is a day consumed by death.
- Form opinions by focussing on a select few thinkers who challenge and make you grow, rather than a wide variety without focus. And apply this to life as well. A well travelled man often has many acquaintances but few friends.
- “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”
- It is equally fault to trust everyone and trust noone. However, the former is a safer option. Assuming a friend is loyal, will make him loyal.
- Most people oscillate between a fear of dying and hardships of life. However, making life agreeable to you is real wealth. Most things that stress people out are superfluous anyways.
- Fitting in and standing out should be done in congruence with nature. Ensuring that our outwardly appearances are neither too extravagant, nor too austere allows us to fit in. Whereas, we can generate a quiet admiration for ourselves by standing out with original thought and good work.
- Crowds of people can negatively affect your thinking especially if the crowd thinks very differently from you. If they are greedy, pompous and vain, you will see a little of of that in you after your interactions with them. It is better to be with few with the right temperament or none than to be with a large group of people.
- Be careful with objects that are ornamental. What you have gained by desiring and not needing may not ever feel like its really yours. If you get something by chance, without necessarily working for it, is not really yours and any good that has been given to you, can be removed.
- Being self-sufficient is a high ideal but that does not mean that you live a lonely life. It does mean that if for some reason you were to have no friends, you will be content with yourself and your own thoughts. Natural promptings, not selfish needs draw you into the most valued friendships. People are most happy when absorbed in a task than when that task ends - making a friend is more pleasant than keeping a friend just as painting is more pleasant than finishing one.
- Solitude is often seen as unpleasant or looked down upon but can be the biggest boon if utilized correctly. It allows you the space and time to think and be true to yourself.
- No amount of wisdom or knowledge can change your inherent characteristics which you have from birth. Let your actions be accountable to a higher figure who wants you to make others happy.
- Greet each new day that you have been give with gratitude and happiness. This is especially easy when you are living your life to the fullest and without constraints.
- We often suffer more in our imagination than in real life. Many times we let people and expectations define our fears and thoughts and too often we dont examine those thoughts and fears in an objective fashion. But to be confident in strife, you have to have endured it before. He also implies that strife is good and important for us to objectively examine it and endure it. It is often better than we imagined.
- Of all the things we fear, the most we fear is violence from a stronger man. We must ensure that we have no cravings of rivalry or jealousy, Ensure that we dont have much to lose in way of ego and especially avoid: hatred, jealousy and scorn. The true refuge is philosophy and to be mindful of your actions by staying calm and in moderation.
- Ensure that you are both look towards your future achievements and your past accomplishments. Be grateful for all that you have accomplished, more than many around you but most importantly you have pushed yourself further forward and beaten your old self.
- “If you live according to nature, you will never be poor, if you live according to opinion, you will never be rich.” This applies not only to wealth but also goals and achievements.
- Seek understanding and knowledge first, instead of riches and fortune. Man requires very little to reasonably sustain. Wisdom offers wealth in ready money, and pays it over to those in whose eyes she has made wealth superfluous.
– G