The solution to worry must begin by understanding its cause and how it builds over time. Seneca grasped the nature of preoccupations better than most philosophers in history, but his recommendations need to be adapted to our century. Seneca attributed mental strain to the human tendency to go too far, run too quickly, and expect too much. He viewed peace of mind as the major goal of philosophy, but acknowledged the difficulty of giving up the desires that prevent tranquillity. We achieve tranquillity, Seneca argued, by becoming more realistic in our expectations. When we pursue a desirable goal, we work hard and expect to achieve it, but we should keep our expectations reasonable, especially if we are operating in harsh environments under tight constraints. Socrates (470-399 BC) had been known for his remarkable ability to stay calm under pressure. According to Plato (427-347 BC), Socrates was able to keep a cool head in the face of dire adversity; he would remain clear-headed even when things had turned dramatically for the worse. Why do so few individuals achieve tranquillity? Why does serenity remain elusive? Seneca rightly pointed out that people fail to attain tranquillity because of their reluctance to practise virtue. By “virtue,” Seneca was referring to Stoicism, that is, a combination of rationality, alertness, parsimony, contemplation and patience. Tranquillity is the outcome of good emotional hygiene, not a mysterious gift of destiny or heredity. It comes from saying no to an unbalanced lifestyle and exaggerated reactions. It rests on our commitment to Seneca’s prescriptions. Seneca’s formula for achieving tranquillity is similar to his formula for friendship: both formulas require full commitment in good and bad weather. We recognise true friends thanks to their loyalty during adversity. Similarly, we recognise effective thinkers in their ability to keep a cool head during a crisis. In his 46th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca noted that true friends are rare and that it’s foolish to count mere acquaintances as true friends. Those who engage in jovial conversation during dinner may or may not possess the potential to become true friends. I’m afraid that only time can tell if those acquaintances will become true friends or not. Seneca wisely observed that “fair-weather companions tend to vanish in times of hardship.” Seneca’s observation applies with equal rigour to achieving tranquillity. It is easy to maintain our serenity when things are going well, but superficial serenity “tends to vanish in times of hardship.” If we want to achieve and maintain our tranquillity, we need to keep practising the Stoic virtues day in and day out, not only during fair weather. In particular, we will need to stay loyal to virtue during major crises, even in life-or-death situations. Seneca implies in the 64th Letter to Lucilius that we should regard life as a path. I would point to the Taoist metaphor of a river flowing to the sea, a river that will occasionally traverse rough patches. Philosophy is a sturdy boat that enables us to navigate downstream with a minimum of trouble. Tranquillity requires that we “periodically remove all weeds from our garden,” so that our mind can operate efficiently. We should stay away from “worthless gossip and distractions” that waste our time and undermine our resolve to practise virtue. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/senecas-formula-for-achieving-tranquillity/

In history, few philosophers have come with workable, solid advice about dealing with setbacks. Socrates (470-399 BC), Plato (427-347 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC) had given little thought to this matter, concentrating their efforts on logic and epistemology rather than on human psychology. Seneca was the first philosopher in history to come up with a complete prescription for dealing with setbacks in all sorts of circumstances. He took the insights developed by Zeno of Citium (334-262 BC) and Cleanthes (330-230 BC) in prior centuries, and turned them into a ready-made formula. The formula appears, in bits and pieces, in the essays and in the Letters to Lucilius written by Seneca. I am outlining here the principles, so that today’s reader can access them right away without having to go through hundreds of pages. Seneca’s formula consists of three steps: First, making a fair assessment of our problems. Second, addressing the most acute problems with priority. Third, looking for ways to turn those problems into stepping stones. The first step is the most difficult because many people tend to blow their problems out of proportion. I must include myself sometimes in this category, although experience has taught me how to apply Seneca’s insights more consistently. In the 41st Letter to Lucilius, Seneca provides an extremely effective recommendation in this area: If we want to assess our problems accurately, we should put them in perspective. If we are terrified of falling ill or going bankrupt, we should remind ourselves of our mortality. Reading Seneca had led me to consider the strategy of reflecting daily on death in order to live fully. Compared to death, all problems seem of little importance, whether they are financial, emotional, social, or medical. As long as we are alive, we have possibilities of improving our situation. It is easy to regain balance, if we train ourselves to consider death as the alternative. The consequence of doing so is that we will devote more energy to taking practical action, and much less to complaints and lamentations. Seneca’s second step is to identify, amongst all our pressing problems, those that are the most severe. By “severity,” I mean “lethality,” not discomfort or embarrassment. We should ignore our natural tendency to focus on pain as the principal criterion. It is painful to suffer from indigestion, but probably less lethal than a heart condition that is not giving us any pain at this moment. As a general rule, humans tend to be more objective when they look at somebody else’s problems than when they look at their own. We may prove capable of identifying the most lethal threat for a friend, while we remain blind and deaf to the risks that we are facing ourselves. In his 111th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca advised drawing the counsel of a good friend. His definition of “good friend” is however quite demanding. Seneca meant “someone willing to point to our mistakes and propose improvements.” If we can draw this kind of advice, that would be ideal, but on many occasions, the threats might require immediate action, allowing us no time for consultations. For this reason, it’s good to build one’s self-reliance and learn to keep a cool head during crisis situations. Seneca had great appreciation for friendship, but favoured self-reliance over all. From the 111th Letter to Lucilius, I have concluded that a wise man does not rely on friends for securing his peace of mind. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/senecas-advice-on-setbacks/

Most philosophical doctrines are worthless for dealing with uncertainty. They fail to recognise emerging threats and, when people wake up, it’s too late to do anything. If we want to have a successful, happy life, we need to know what to do exactly in order to deal effectively with uncertainty. Seneca came up with the answer, although he failed to see the implications. He was too busy with his own problems and possessed only a limited grasp of economics. Let us review his insights and complete them where necessary. In his 102nd Letter to Lucilius, Seneca described in detail the risks that we all face in life. I would use the metaphor of trees that we have seen when they were planted, but that are now old and decayed. I am referring to the process of getting old, but we can extrapolate the principle to all areas of human life. In terms of business, professional or social development, we all face risks of obsolescence, market shifts, and decreasing opportunities. Uncertainty is a general concept that encompasses all kinds of future risks. If we fail to adopt preventive measures, we may have to face a sharp decline in our health, social and financial status. Stoics sometimes employ the metaphor of a tree, which used to be tall and thriving, but has become dead wood, only good enough for burning in the fireplace. Lamentations will not help us deal successfully with future changes in the environment; they will not help us identify risks and determine what to do exactly. The Stoic prescription given by Zeno of Citium (334-262 BC) and Cleanthes (330-230 BC) consisted of acceptance and resignation. The same passive attitude had been proposed by Chrysippus (279-206 BC). I regard the prescriptions of the early Stoics as profoundly unsatisfactory. Uncertainty constitutes a generic risk that every person needs to face; a philosopher that preaches acceptance or resignation is not helping us deal with uncertainty. Seneca improved substantially compared to the early Stoics because he had understood that, when we are facing important threats, passivity is suicidal. Zeno was advising people to take setbacks philosophically, but is it not better to adopt preventive measures to avert problems? In his 19th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca identifies a formula for dealing effectively with uncertainty, although he fails to take it further. Heraclitus had already implied that fortune is always flowing; sometimes, turning in our favour, other times, against. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/senecas-advice-on-dealing-with-uncertainty/