Mortality has always been an anxiety inducing topic for me. I'm trying to slowly read a few things about it so that it will terrify me less. This short thing was one of them. I found a few reassuring phrases in here and, honestly, a lot of things that have become platitudes since Seneca's time.

The short treatise is a letter to Paulinus, a statesman. Seneca is offering him advice on the nature of life, and the pursuit of a living a good life. Seneca has no time for trivial pursuits - he believes in learning from the past and theories of significance. He doesn't believe in freely giving time to people just because they ask. In today's lingo, he seems like an unplugged, monotaskter. An Ayn Randian/Objectivist 'selfish' person, who values himself and his virtues, and does not believe in spending time in any way other than what he deems worthwhile and valuable.

A few key sentences/paragraphs:

"It's not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it."
"Why do we complain about nature? It has acted generously: life, if you know how to use it, is long."
"But learning how to live takes a whole lifetime, and - you'll perhaps be more surprised at this - it takes a whole lifetime to learn how to die."
"Life is divided into three parts: past present, and future. Of these, the present is brief, the future doubtful, the past certain. For this last is the category over which fortune no longer has control, and which cannot be brought back under anyone's power. Preoccupied people lose this part; for they have no leisure to look back at the past, and even if they had it, there's no pleasure in recalling something regrettable."

Seneca concludes with extolling the virtues of a life lived liked a scholar - i.e. taking time for oneself in the pursuit of knowledge and philosophy. And woe betide the 'preoccupied' people, or the distracted people, of his age:

"The plight of all preoccupied people is wretched, but most wretched is the plight of those who labor under preoccupations that are not even their own, whose sleep schedule is regulated by someone else's, who walk at somebody else's pace, and who are under instructions in that freest of all activities - loving and hating. If these people want to know how short their life is, let them reflect on how small a part of it is their very own."

In the modern era, this seems basic, but we all get caught up in the affairs of others, social niceties, etc.. It is a good reminder to check in with oneself, your goals, and how you view your life. YOLO.

I have only heard about Seneca but never got the opportunity to read or get familiar with his philosophy. Now that I have read this I must say that it is quite intriguing and critical read. The main idea proposed by him is as follows- "We are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill- supplied but wasteful of it". If we think along these lines then the modern advent of civilisational progress has only made it worse rather than making it better. We are equipped with much more and most of it is being wasted away rather than being used wisely.

Seneca contests that it is stupid to forget our mortality and put off sensible plans to our sixtieth and seventieth years. Although it's important to realise that external goods are really of trivial importance because prosperity does not elevate the sage and adversity does not depress him. I really liked this one paragraph in Seneca says "Let my mind be fixed on itself, cultivate itself, having no external interest- nothing that seeks the approval of another; let it cherish the tranquility that has no part in public or private concerns"

There are many more themes discussed in the book which struck a chord with me. I also feel that Seneca was much ahead of it time. If not told that this belongs to a certain era then one might not be able to predict. I look forward to reading more works of Seneca.

Timeless advice by the well known stoic.

"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."

"All the greatest blessings are a source of anxiety, and at no time is fortune less wisely trusted than when it is best; to maintain prosperity there is need of other prosperity, and in behalf of the prayers that have turned out well we must make still other prayers."

"And so when you see a man often wearing the robe of office, when you see one whose name is famous in the Forum, do not envy him; those things are bought at the price of life."

Very interesting to read this so shortly after Marcus Aurelius's Meditations. Both proclaim stoic values; but where Aurelius is humble, inquisitive and positive in his outlook, Seneca comes off much more as a grumpy old man, telling the kids that they're living their lives wrong!
Aurelius presents stoicism very neutrally; "here are the stoic values" he says, "by following them I have found happiness, and maybe others can as well". There is a gentleness and a distinct lack of preaching; others may be struggling with any sorts of problems including materialism. If you can help them and instruct them without causing harm or being a jerk, then do so. But if not, don't worry about it! Don't let others throw you off your own internal balance. And he provides many aphorisms to help you maintain that balance.
Seneca on the other hand, launches immediately into "look at these bloody youths! Spending all their time getting their hair cut, lounging about, being idle and self-absorbed! If only they were true stoics like me they'd be happy and they wouldn't be bothering me!" It's honestly pretty funny; it's the absolute classic, tried-and-true trope of the bitter old man, shouting at kids to get off his philosophical lawn. There is a distinct lack of self-awareness as Seneca lacks many of the values he seemingly endorses, or at best has twisted them beyond recognition to suit his own needs.
The second essay contained in this book is possibly an even worse offender, in which he spends the entire document telling his own mother how to live her life happily, again with no hint of irony or self-awareness. "Hey, it's a real shame you're such a stupid woman or you might have been able to understand philosophy, then your life would have been so much better".
Still an interesting read for historical context, and there are some elements of true stoic wisdom in here, even if Seneca doesn't fully get them himself.