How to Have a Life with Seneca

Part XXV of the Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series

[Based on How to Have a Life: An Ancient Guide to Using Our Time Wisely, by Seneca, translated by James S. Romm. Full book series here.]

Life is short, isn’t it? Well, it depends on how you measure its length, and on how you weigh the relative importance of quality and quantity. One of the best sources for reflections on this theme surely is Lucius Annaeus Seneca’s De Brevitate Vitae, On the Shortness of Life, newly translated by James S. Romm for the ongoing Princeton University Press series, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers.

I interviewed James on the subject of Seneca for The Philosophy Garden’s occasional “Meet the Greco-Romans” videocast, and it was a fascinating conversation about the man, the philosopher, and how the two related to each other.

James begins his introduction to this new handy booklet with some famous words uttered four decades ago by then Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas: “No one on his deathbed ever said, I wish I’d spent more time on my business.” Indeed. James then goes on to remind us that we engage in all sorts of somewhat strange thoughts about the shortness of our lives. We make “bucket lists,” a typical (and rather annoying, in my opinion) American approach to the problem of making sure we…