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---
tabtitle: "Seneca's Letter to Lucilius, Letter 12"
title: "Seneca's Letter to Lucilius, Letter 12: On Old Age"
topics: [philosophy]
pub: ""
short_desc: ""
---
# Letter 12: On Old Age
## Original Text
Wherever I turn, I see evidences of my advancing years. I visited lately my
country-place, and protested against the money which was spent on the
tumble-down building. My bailiff maintained that the flaws were not due to
his own carelessness; "he was doing everything possible, but the house was
old." And this was the house which grew under my own hands! What has the
future in store for me, if stones of my own age are already crumbling? I
was angry, and I embraced the first opportunity to vent my spleen in the
bailiff's presence. "It is clear," I cried, "that these plane-trees are
neglected; they have no leaves. Their branches are so gnarled and shrivelled;
the boles are so rough and unkempt! This would not happen, if someone
loosened the earth at their feet, and watered them." The bailiff swore by my
protecting deity that "he was doing everything possible, and never relaxed
his efforts, but those trees were old." Between you and me, I had planted
those trees myself, I had seen them in their first leaf. Then I turned to
the door and asked: "Who is that broken-down dotard? You have done well to
place him at the entrance; for he is outward bound. Where did you get him?
What pleasure did it give you to take up for burial some other man's
dead?" But the slave said: "Don't you know me, sir? I am Felicio; you used
to bring me little images. My father was Philositus the steward, and I am
your pet slave." "The man is clean crazy," I remarked. "Has my pet slave
become a little boy again? But it is quite possible; his teeth are just
dropping out."
I owe it to my country-place that my old age became apparent whithersoever
I turned. Let us cherish and love old age; for it is full of pleasure if
one knows how to use it. Fruits are most welcome when almost over; youth
is most charming at its close; the last drink delights the toper, the
glass which souses him and puts the finishing touch on his drunkenness.
Each pleasure reserves to the end the greatest delights which it contains.
Life is most delightful when it is on the downward slope, but has not yet
reached the abrupt decline. And I myself believe that the period which
stands, so to speak, on the edge of the roof, possesses pleasures of its
own. Or else the very fact of our not wanting pleasures has taken the
place of the pleasures themselves. How comforting it is to have tired out
one's appetites, and to have done with them! "But," you say, "it is a
nuisance to be looking death in the face!" Death, however, should be
looked in the face by young and old alike. We are not summoned according
to our rating on the censor's list. Moreover, no one is so old that it
would be improper for him to hope for another day of existence. And one
day, mind you, is a stage on life's journey.
Our span of life is divided into parts; it consists of large circles
enclosing smaller. One circle embraces and bounds the rest; it reaches
from birth to the last day of existence. The next circle limits the period
of our young manhood. The third confines all of childhood in its
circumference. Again, there is, in a class by itself, the year; it
contains within itself all the divisions of time by the multiplication of
which we get the total of life. The month is bounded by a narrower ring.
The smallest circle of all is the day; but even a day has its beginning
and its ending, its sunrise and its sunset. Hence Heraclitus, whose
obscure style gave him his surname, remarked: "One day is equal to
every day." Different persons have interpreted the saying in different
ways. Some hold that days are equal in number of hours, and this is true;
for if by "day" we mean twenty-four hours' time, all days must be equal,
inasmuch as the night acquires what the day loses. But others maintain
that one day is equal to all days through resemblance, because the very
longest space of time possesses no element which cannot be found in a
single day, – namely, light and darkness, – and even to eternity day makes
these alternations more numerous, not different when it is shorter and
different again when it is longer. Hence, every day ought to be
regulated as if it closed the series, as if it rounded out and completed
our existence.
Pacuvius, who by long occupancy made Syria his own, used to hold a
regular burial sacrifice in his own honour, with wine and the usual
funeral feasting, and then would have himself carried from the dining-room
to his chamber, while eunuchs applauded and sang in Greek to a musical
accompaniment: "He has lived his life, he has lived his life!" Thus
Pacuvius had himself carried out to burial every day. Let us, however, do
from a good motive what he used to do from a debased motive; let us go to
our sleep with joy and gladness; let us say:
I have lived; the course which Fortune set for me
Is finished.
And if God is pleased to add another day, we should welcome it with glad
hearts. That man is happiest, and is secure in his own possession of
himself, who can await the morrow without apprehension. When a man has
said: "I have lived!", every morning he arises he receives a bonus.
But now I ought to close my letter. "What?" you say; "shall it come to
me without any little offering? "Be not afraid; it brings something, –
nay, more than something, a great deal. For what is more noble than
the following saying of which I make this letter the bearer: "It
is wrong to live under constraint; but no man is constrained to live
under constraint." Of course not. On all sides lie many short and
simple paths to freedom; and let us thank God that no man can be kept
in life. We may spurn the very constraints that hold us.
"Epicurus," you reply, "uttered these words; what are you doing with
another's property?" Any truth, I maintain, is my own property. And I
shall continue to heap quotations from Epicurus upon you, so that all
persons who swear by the words of another, and put a value upon the
speaker and not upon the thing spoken, may understand that the best
ideas are common property. Farewell.
## Response
### Source
[Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 12 on Wikisource](
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Letter_12)
###### [Letter Index]({{ site.baseurl }}{% post_url 2018-01-15-Letters-To-Lucilius %})
- Update pub to publication date
- Set short_desc

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---
tabtitle: "Seneca's Letter to Lucilius, Letter 5"
title: "Seneca's Letter to Lucilius, Letter 5: On the Philosopher's Mean"
topics: [philosophy]
pub: "2018-02-11"
short_desc: "In this letter, Seneca explores the concept of All Things in
Moderation, but with a Stoic twist!"
---
# Letter 5: On the Philosopher's Mean
## Original Text
I commend you and rejoice in the fact that you are persistent in your studies,
and that, putting all else aside, you make it each day your endeavour to become
a better man. I do not merely exhort you to keep at it; I actually beg you to do
so. I warn you, however, not to act after the fashion of those who desire to be
conspicuous rather than to improve, by doing things which will rouse comment as
regards your dress or general way of living. Repellent attire, unkempt hair,
slovenly beard, open scorn of silver dishes, a couch on the bare earth, and any
other perverted forms of self-display, are to be avoided. The mere name of
philosophy, however quietly pursued, is an object of sufficient scorn; and what
would happen if we should begin to separate ourselves from the customs of our
fellow-men? Inwardly, we ought to be different in all respects, but our exterior
should conform to society. Do not wear too fine, nor yet too frowzy, a toga.
One needs no silver plate, encrusted and embossed in solid gold; but we should
not believe the lack of silver and gold to be proof of the simple life. Let us
try to maintain a higher standard of life than that of the multitude, but not a
contrary standard; otherwise, we shall frighten away and repel the very persons
whom we are trying to improve. We also bring it about that they are unwilling to
imitate us in anything, because they are afraid lest they might be compelled to
imitate us in everything.
The first thing which philosophy undertakes to give is fellow-feeling with all
men; in other words, sympathy and sociability. We part company with our promise
if we are unlike other men. We must see to it that the means by which we wish to
draw admiration be not absurd and odious. Our motto, as you know, is "Live
according to Nature"; but it is quite contrary to nature to torture the body, to
hate unlaboured elegance, to be dirty on purpose, to eat food that is not only
plain, but disgusting and forbidding. Just as it is a sign of luxury to seek
out dainties, so it is madness to avoid that which is customary and can be
purchased at no great price. Philosophy calls for plain living, but not for
penance; and we may perfectly well be plain and neat at the same time. This is
the mean of which I approve; our life should observe a happy medium between the
ways of a sage and the ways of the world at large; all men should admire it, but
they should understand it also.
"Well then, shall we act like other men? Shall there be no distinction between
ourselves and the world?" Yes, a very great one; let men find that we are unlike
the common herd, if they look closely. If they visit us at home, they should
admire us, rather than our household appointments. He is a great man who uses
earthenware dishes as if they were silver; but he is equally great who uses
silver as if it were earthenware. It is the sign of an unstable mind not to be
able to endure riches.
But I wish to share with you to-day's profit also. I find in the writings of
our Hecato that the limiting of desires helps also to cure fears: "Cease to
hope," he says, "and you will cease to fear." "But how," you will reply, "can
things so different go side by side?" In this way, my dear Lucilius: though they
do seem at variance, yet they are really united. Just as the same chain fastens
the prisoner and the soldier who guards him, so hope and fear, dissimilar as
they are, keep step together; fear follows hope. I am not surprised that they
proceed in this way; each alike belongs to a mind that is in suspense, a mind
that is fretted by looking forward to the future. But the chief cause of both
these ills is that we do not adapt ourselves to the present, but send our
thoughts a long way ahead. And so foresight, the noblest blessing of the human
race, becomes perverted. Beasts avoid the dangers which they see, and when they
have escaped them are free from care; but we men torment ourselves over that
which is to come as well as over that which is past. Many of our blessings bring
bane to us; for memory recalls the tortures of fear, while foresight anticipates
them. The present alone can make no man wretched. Farewell.
## Response
Mean as in average. Not, like... being a jerk. In this letter, Seneca encourages
us to live a life which does not ostracize us from society. Instead, we should
look beyond the facade, and understand the intentions behind our and others'
actions. Living within and conforming to society is not a problem, so long as we
do not neglect our virtue: "Inwardly, we ought to be different in all respects,
but our exterior should conform to society."
I take from this letter two important lessons: live your life for you, not for
others; and don't be afraid to be normal. Though, maybe "live your life for you
and pursue virtue" is better. Seek modesty (and moderation) in all things. Be a
philosopher in thought, word, and deed, but be an everyday person too, and
perhaps primarily. Nobody likes being lectured to, but people do enjoy talking
to each other. A big aspect of Stoicism is sharing what we learn with others;
improving ourselves to improve others. The only way to do that is by being, for
lack of a better word, normal. As Seneca puts it, "We part company with our
promise if we are unlike other men."
Seneca's included quote at the end comes from Hecato, and re-enforces the
significance of moderation. "Cease to hope, and you will cease to fear." Seneca
expands on this to stress the importance of staying present: "...memory recalls
the tortures of fear, while foresight anticipates them." The way Seneca
approaches and expands the quote, though, is simply poetic, and something I will
certainly remember moving forward: "Just as the same chain fastens the prisoner
and the soldier who guards him, so hope and fear, dissimilar as they are, keep
step together; fear follows hope."
A few more things worth noting:
"Repellent attire, unkempt hair, slovenly beard, open scorn of silver dishes, a
couch on the bare earth, and any other perverted forms of self-display, are to
be avoided." This seems like a direct response (and another patented Seneca Sick
Burn) to the Cynics.
"It is the sign of an unstable mind not to be able to endure riches." I read
this a few different ways. First, endure the riches of others, and do not let
them effect your sense of self-worth. Second, endure the riches of yourself, and
do not let it inflate your self-worth. Finally, endure all riches, and recognize
them as an indifference, preferred but never at the expense of virtue.
### Source
[Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 5 on Wikisource](
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Letter_5)
###### [Letter Index]({{ site.baseurl }}{% post_url 2018-01-15-Letters-To-Lucilius %})

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---
tabtitle: "Seneca's Letter to Lucilius, Letter 6"
title: "Seneca's Letter to Lucilius, Letter 6: On Sharing Knowledge"
topics: [philosophy]
pub: "2018-02-11"
short_desc: "Knowledge withheld is only partial. Sharing knowledge, and
experiencing it, fosters improvement!"
---
# Letter 6: On Sharing Knowledge
## Original Text
I feel, my dear Lucilius, that I am being not only reformed, but transformed. I
do not yet, however, assure myself, or indulge the hope, that there are no
elements left in me which need to be changed. Of course there are many that
should be made more compact, or made thinner, or be brought into greater
prominence. And indeed this very fact is proof that my spirit is altered into
something better, – that it can see its own faults, of which it was previously
ignorant. In certain cases sick men are congratulated because they themselves
have perceived that they are sick.
I therefore wish to impart to you this sudden change in myself; I should then
begin to place a surer trust in our friendship, – the true friendship which hope
and fear and self-interest cannot sever, the friendship in which and for the
sake of which men meet death.
I can show you many who have lacked, not a friend, but a friendship; this,
however, cannot possibly happen when souls are drawn together by identical
inclinations into an alliance of honourable desires. And why can it not happen?
Because in such cases men know that they have all things in common, especially
their troubles.
You cannot conceive what distinct progress I notice that each day brings to me.
And when you say: "Give me also a share in these gifts which you have found so
helpful," I reply that I am anxious to heap all these privileges upon you, and
that I am glad to learn in order that I may teach. Nothing will ever please me,
no matter how excellent or beneficial, if I must retain the knowledge of it to
myself. And if wisdom were given me under the express condition that it must be
kept hidden and not uttered, I should refuse it. No good thing is pleasant to
possess, without friends to share it.
I shall therefore send to you the actual books; and in order that you may not
waste time in searching here and there for profitable topics, I shall mark
certain passages, so that you can turn at once to those which I approve and
admire. Of course, however, the living voice and the intimacy of a common life
will help you more than the written word. You must go to the scene of action,
first, because men put more faith in their eyes than in their ears, and second,
because the way is long if one follows precepts, but short and helpful, if one
follows patterns.
Cleanthes could not have been the express image of Zeno, if he had merely heard
his lectures; he shared in his life, saw into his hidden purposes, and watched
him to see whether he lived according to his own rules. Plato, Aristotle, and
the whole throng of sages who were destined to go each his different way,
derived more benefit from the character than from the words of Socrates. It was
not the class-room of Epicurus, but living together under the same roof, that
made great men of Metrodorus, Hermarchus, and Polyaenus. Therefore I summon you,
not merely that you may derive benefit, but that you may confer benefit; for we
can assist each other greatly.
Meanwhile, I owe you my little daily contribution; you shall be told what
pleased me to-day in the writings of Hecato; it is these words: "What progress,
you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself." That was indeed a
great benefit; such a person can never be alone. You may be sure that such a man
is a friend to all mankind. Farewell.
## Response
This letter is very casual, more of an update than anything, I feel. Seneca
draws reference to the significance of friendship once more, as was covered in
letter three. Expanding upon it, he emphasizes the importance of sharing
knowledge: "And if wisdom were given me under the express condition that it must
be kept hidden and not uttered, I should refuse it. No good thing is pleasant to
possess, without friends to share it." Beyond just sharing, though, is the
importance of experiencing. His mentions of Cleanthes to Zeno, and Plato or
Aristotle to Socrates, help illustrate this notion.
What strikes me of significance in this letter is the quote Seneca includes from
Hecato: "What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to
myself." It reminds me of a quote from an article I read written in the 1920s:
"I am persuaded that no one ever achieves anything worth-while in this world
unless he has so great a respect for his work that he compels all other men to
respect it." In my eyes, the first is a requirement for the second; before you
can respect yourself and your work, you must be a friend with yourself. Instead
of fighting against every negative feeling or doubt, you must find strength and
power. Only then will you live with such assurance that you will harbor respect
wherever you walk.
### Source
[Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 6 on Wikisource](
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Letter_6)
[Why I Quit Being So Accomidating](
https://mikecanex.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/1922-why-i-quit-being-so-accommodating/)
###### [Letter Index]({{ site.baseurl }}{% post_url 2018-01-15-Letters-To-Lucilius %})