8 Quotes By Seneca To Help You Lead A Better Life
“A man is as unhappy as he has convinced himself he is.”
Stoicism is my favourite form of philosophy. Unlike other strands of philosophy, stoicism can be applied to your daily life with a little work.
One of the most famous proponents of stoicism was Seneca. He was a philosopher who hailed from Córdoba, Spain and spent much of his life in Rome.
His life predated that of the famous Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, but Seneca influenced another famous Emperor, Nero.
He was appointed as Nero’s tutor by his mother Agrippina before the future Emperor rose to the throne. Despite imparting the virtues of stoicism to Nero, Seneca was unable to curb his student’s excesses.
Nero’s rule was marked by tyranny and extravagance. His reign ended abruptly in revolt as Nero fled Rome and ultimately committed suicide. Nero himself requested that Seneca commit suicide when he had grown tired of the influence of his tutor and advisor.
It may seem odd to read the writings of a man who could not dampen the excesses of an Emperor, but these failings show that Seneca was like the rest of us, fallible.
Seneca was a man who witnessed the corrupting influence that power had. He saw firsthand what it…
