Scan barcode
fatherroderick's review against another edition
4.0
As thought provoking and relevant today as it was when it was written. Do you live your life or just exist? Life is not too short, argues Seneca, if we use the time that we've been given well.
caroloni's review against another edition
5.0
Finally got around to finishing this! I appreciated his practical wisdom and the emphasis on living your life to the fullest. Good stuff to remember!
“So it is — the life we receive is not short, but we make it so, not do we have any lack of it, but are wasteful of it” (2).
“So it is — the life we receive is not short, but we make it so, not do we have any lack of it, but are wasteful of it” (2).
bookwends's review against another edition
5.0
Timeless wisdom especially the part where Seneca says wine can liberate the mind. Mad respect
andyecono's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
shivampadho's review against another edition
5.0
“You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desire”
Turns out humans 2000 years ago weren’t much too different. Who woulda thunk?
Brilliant essay, loved the relevance of the observations and cutting through the bullshit getting right to the core of what makes a life worth living. Seneca puts a premium upon time, the most valuable thing we possess and how we love to squander it on trivial things.
Some gems -
“It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. ... The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully.”
“People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.”
“Often a very old man has no other proof of his long life than his age.”
“But life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future.”
“It is more civilized to make fun of life than to bewail it.”
“It takes the whole of life to learn how to live, and -what will perhaps make you wonder more - it takes the whole of life to learn how to die.”
“And so there is no reason for you to think that any man has lived long because he has grey hairs or wrinkles, he has not lived long – he has existed long. For what if you should think that man had had a long voyage who had been caught by a fierce storm as soon as he left harbour, and, swept hither and thither by a succession of winds that raged from different quarters, had been driven in a circle around the same course? Not much voyaging did he have, but much tossing about.”
“Believe me, it is the sign of a great man, and one who is above human error, not to allow his time to be frittered away: he has the longest possible life simply because whatever time was available he devoted entirely to himself.”
“People are delighted to accept pensions and gratuities, for which they hire out their labour or their support or their services. But nobody works out the value of time: men use it lavishly as if it cost nothing. But if death threatens these same people, you will see them praying to their doctors; if they are in fear of capital punishment, you will see them prepared to spend their all to stay alive.”
Turns out humans 2000 years ago weren’t much too different. Who woulda thunk?
Brilliant essay, loved the relevance of the observations and cutting through the bullshit getting right to the core of what makes a life worth living. Seneca puts a premium upon time, the most valuable thing we possess and how we love to squander it on trivial things.
Some gems -
“It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. ... The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully.”
“People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.”
“Often a very old man has no other proof of his long life than his age.”
“But life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future.”
“It is more civilized to make fun of life than to bewail it.”
“It takes the whole of life to learn how to live, and -what will perhaps make you wonder more - it takes the whole of life to learn how to die.”
“And so there is no reason for you to think that any man has lived long because he has grey hairs or wrinkles, he has not lived long – he has existed long. For what if you should think that man had had a long voyage who had been caught by a fierce storm as soon as he left harbour, and, swept hither and thither by a succession of winds that raged from different quarters, had been driven in a circle around the same course? Not much voyaging did he have, but much tossing about.”
“Believe me, it is the sign of a great man, and one who is above human error, not to allow his time to be frittered away: he has the longest possible life simply because whatever time was available he devoted entirely to himself.”
“People are delighted to accept pensions and gratuities, for which they hire out their labour or their support or their services. But nobody works out the value of time: men use it lavishly as if it cost nothing. But if death threatens these same people, you will see them praying to their doctors; if they are in fear of capital punishment, you will see them prepared to spend their all to stay alive.”
harmeenp's review against another edition
3.0
Last essay brought up score . Lots of highlights . Will read again .
pjfcl's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A vida passada em aflições ou gasta em prazeres supérfluos encurta o tempo disponível para elevar a mente. Devemos lidar com a morte como algo que nos consome a cada momento. Que isso nos motive a aproveitar o tempo disponível, em especial reflectindo sobre os ensinamento dos sábios do passado para aprender a viver o presente.