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How To Use Seneca’s Philosophy To Create A Better Life
How the ancient stoic who mentored a monster can help us live better.
Imagine for a moment that you are tasked with mentoring one of the most powerful and ruthless tyrants in history.
Now imagine that your advice does not only help him to become one of the most influential figures in western history, but it also helps you come to terms with some harsh truths about life.
This is exactly what happened when Seneca, an ancient stoic philosopher, mentored a young Nero, who became one of the most notorious tyrants in history.
When we read Seneca’s works, we see a man who led a life of passion and purpose and used his philosophy to create a life he was proud of. And though his most notorious pupil never quite put the advice to use, Seneca’s teachings can still be used to help us live better lives.
One of my favorite quotes by Seneca is, “it is not that we are given a short life, but we make it short.”
Seneca suggests that our life is as long or short as we choose to make it. This idea can be applied in many ways, from managing our time to approaching challenges and setbacks.
When faced with a challenge, Seneca suggests that instead of focusing on the difficulty of the task at hand, focus on the potential…
