How Seneca viewed time

In contrast to modern philosophers, Seneca did not give a great importance to time. Like other Stoic thinkers, he did not fundamentally care whether his life was long or short. Seneca’s view of time is worth studying because it helps us understand key concepts of #stoicism. In his 49th and 101st Letters to Lucilius, #seneca criticised people who waste their lives in trivial pursuits. On the other hand, the 49th and 101st Letters praise individuals that focus on self-improvement and learning, in particular Stoic #philosophy. Seneca had a negative view of distractions that prevent people from living a philosophical life. He regarded the human #lifespan as sufficient for fulfilling life’s key purposes, provided that we do not get sidetracked by non-essential #goals . If we focus on proper ambitions, Seneca explained, we have the capacity “to achieve the greatest things.” People should be more afraid of wasting their life than of actually dying. Sooner or later, we are all going to die. That’s something that we cannot avoid. However, more often than not, death takes people by surprise. When the time comes, they claim that their life has been too short and that they still have things to do, but have they used their years effectively? In his 49th and 101st Letters to Lucilius, Seneca gives a clear guideline for making the best of one’s days. He encourages us to define our lifetime mission, so that we can plan our days accordingly. Seneca acknowledged that none of us can be sure how long we will live. We can do our best to stay healthy and strong, but even then, we may suffer a lethal accident. What to do in the face of such uncertainty? We have no guarantee of living many years nor of achieving our goals, Seneca acknowledges, but that’s not the main issue. Our priority should be to make the best of each day, so that we are always ready to face death calmly, whenever it comes. Seneca’s indifference to time is conveying one of the major insights of Stoicism, an insight difficult to comprehend in our century, where people feel constantly under time pressure. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/how-seneca-viewed-time/