Seneca is considered one of the most important Latin philosophers of all time. Since he belongs to the stream of Stoicism, he is one of those philosophers who, re-reading him even after many centuries, still manages to teach us great lessons about life.
After a year and a half of the pandemic, it is right to reflect on some issues such as valuing our present, the importance of time, the models to follow in life, and much more than that. Let's discover together the 5 lessons on Seneca's life that are still useful today.
Work on what can still be changed
What does Seneca teach us about this pandemic year? Complaining about what we cannot change is understandable, but not effective. We cannot change the fact that Covid-19 exists. We cannot change the time, the occasions and the days that have passed.
But we can change the way we react to it all. We can change our approach. Because we cannot expect to always have the situation under control for so many things. Very often things do not depend on us, as has happened for 1 year and a half, but this does not mean that we have to suffer everything passively and negatively.
Developing our perspective and way of responding makes us active, responsible. So spend every minute of your life for good. If you own the present, you will be less of a slave to the future.
Be sure before jumping to conclusions
One way to minimize anger, Seneca argues, is to limit your concerns to what is not known for sure. If someone tells you something bad about a certain person, you need to verify that it is true before you make a snap judgment. Likewise, if you read something online or on social media, first ask yourself "Am I sure I know this?". If the answer is "No", then don't rush to conclusions. As Seneca said: "The lazy is an obstacle to himself."
Appreciate the time
Time is one of the main themes of Seneca's Stoic philosophy. "The problem is not that we have little time to live, but that we waste a lot of time. Life is long enough, and a good amount of time has been given us for the greatest achievements if all the time had been well invested... So we are not given a short life, but we make it short, when we are wasteful of it. its... Life is very long if you know how to use it" - wrote the ancient philosopher. So keep in mind that unlike money that can be spent and regained, time is a precious resource that we can never get back.
Choose life patterns
Remember that the people we admire most have not always acted with their heads. What makes them inspiring is their proven willingness to do difficult things for causes greater than themselves. Because as Seneca says "we are naturally disposed to admire more than anything else the man who shows courage in adversity"
So think about the people you admire, be they athletes, philosophers, scientists, musicians, actors, and ask yourself: How would they have reacted in my situation? Choose healthy models for yourself and follow your goals with them.
Create immediate rewards for long-term goals
We know that during the 1 and a half year of the pandemic, the risk of "things dragging on" is always there. The lack of organization, or simply the will and strength, makes us disappointed and unhappy. Seneca says: "Postponement is the greatest loss in life: It steals from us every day and denies us the present, promising us the future." The greatest obstacle to human life is waiting."
And in fact, numerous studies have shown that procrastination is a byproduct of the constant tension between our need for short-term gratification, and plans for long-term goals. One of the best ways to counter this problem is to make the rewards of our long-term goals immediate.
An example? If we know that we should study 50 pages a day, after we achieve this we should learn to "give ourselves a gift". So, learn to appreciate the small or big actions you perform during the day. /Libreriamo – Bota.al/
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