By Seneca the Younger 5 b.c. – 65 a.d.

“Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow the accomplishment of the very greatest things if the whole of it is well invested. But when it is squandered in luxury and carelessness, when it is devoted to no good end, forced at last by the ultimate necessity we perceive that it has passed away before we were aware that it was passing. So it is—the life we receive is not short, but we make it so, nor do we have any lack of it, but are wasteful of it. Just as great and princely wealth is scattered in a moment when it comes into the hands of a bad owner, while wealth however limited, if it is entrusted to a good guardian, increases by use, so our life is amply long for him who orders it properly.”

Seneca The Younger was a roman stoic and a philosopher who lived in the first century AD. He was an advisor to emperor Nero, and ended his life after being accused of being a participant in a plot to kill him. Nero ordered him to commit suicide. Which he apparently did stoicly. Throughout his life he seems to have been quite a prolific writer and more than 100 of his letters have survived. I picked up this short little book because I have an interest in roman history, I’d heard about Seneca and last but not least the book was short.

Just like this book is short many people complain that their life is short too. Seneca shows in this letter that contrary to our own impression, life is long enough. The problem is that we are squandering most of it on things that doesn’t matter.

“Nobody works out the value of time:men use it lavishly as if it costs nothing. But if death threatens these same people you will see them praying to their doctors.”

Seneca also makes a point in saying that existing is not the same as living. Many people are “inprisoned” by their preoccupied life. They are not really living.
So what is the best life you can lead? Well.. According to Seneca you should do things that you enjoy, and you should strive to improve yourself and your world. Every moment you are not striving towards your goals you are wasting. It is hard do disagree with this even though it might be painful to fully accept.

Recently I saw a comic strip by Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal which basically makes the same claims that Seneca did, although in a somewhat more positive way

It still amazes me how relevant this book is still today. Almost two millennia after it was written. Today we waste our time on social media, watching mindless reality shows or a mindnumbing drama series on Netflix. We may have invented alot of stuff since this book was written, but humanity hasn’t changed much.

“Learning hos to live takes a whole life, and which may surprise you more, it takes a whole life to learn how to die.”

Rating: 6/6

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