Letters from A Stoic - Seneca
Book - Letters from a Stoic by Seneca
Backstory: Injury, surgery, isolation and recovery. My first experience of true debilitating reclusivity saw me being unable to walk, and living on a second floor without lift access resulted in greatly reduced interaction/food intake.
Thankfully, the cleaner who emptied my bin every two days and some close friends visiting staved off insanity (I think), however I couldn't help but feel completely abandoned by work. It only took being hauled into the office and blowing .178 at 11am many months later for some to pay attention - go figure.
From this gem of an experience, one can draw the lesson: "don't do that".
Advice -
I read this collection of letters in 2019, summarising each one with what I considered to be the theme and points of reflection. I revisit these periodically, somewhat as a study, more so to provide contextually relevant advice.
To list the key lessons would undoubtedly produce a narrative not appropriate for a bite sized review - ho hum you say, so allow me to introduce two simple notes from Letter VI & VII.
- There is no enjoyment in the possession of anything valuable, least of all knowledge, unless there is someone to share it with.
- Associate with those who will improve you, and welcome those that you might improve. Other themes explored include friendship, personal growth, fear, poverty, becoming decrepit with age, loss, death, physical training, happiness, isolation, and sickness.
Result -
Letters has cultivated an appreciation of classical literature, and provided me with a far more measured approach to crises. Rhetorical question: why should you read this book? Continue below, dear reader.
"Philosophy shapes, moulds, and builds the personality; it orders ones life, regulates ones conduct, shows what one should do & what one should leave undone, sits at the helm & keeps on the correct course as one is tossed about in perilous seas."
