Seneca—On the Happy Life, On the Shortness of Life—A Conversation

Seneca: “When it comes to how one lives, one should not feel compelled to follow the choices of the majority. One should take reason as one’s guide and free oneself from the crowd that stands against it. Those who withdraw into themselves and begin to reflect on life through philosophy will come to understand that the majority values many unnecessary worldly things that have no true worth, and that the appearance of happiness founded on external circumstances is therefore false and fleeting.” (1)

H.B.D.: “I do not believe that the journey towards oneself happens all at once. Unfortunately, a person must be shaped by suffering before they can recognise that their goals in life are hollow or merely for show. Turning inward, in my view, is a necessity; yet under the conditions of the twenty-first century, in a capitalist world, it can be far more difficult.

Modern individuals who take the majority as their model—striving to be like others, think like others, and adopt the same habits of consumption—also surrender their character to a handful of social media metrics. A way out may lie in consciously learning to be content with less and reclaiming time, the most precious thing in the world, for oneself. Through this, an inward turn becomes possible.

The journey towards self-knowledge is difficult today, but it is not impossible. Everything has its place and its time. Nothing comes into being before its time; nor can it.”

Seneca: “A truly happy person distinguishes good from evil through sound judgement, taking reason as the standard; values moral integrity; understands that true pleasure lies in rejecting excessive pleasures; and lives virtuously. Such happiness is unwavering and enduring because it turns away from the fleeting favours of fortune and finds its source solely in the individual’s return to their own inner being. In this sense, to live happily is to live in accordance with nature.” (1)

H.B.D.: “It is both important and essential to take reason and virtue as our standards, and to aspire to a wise and virtuous life as the ultimate aim of the life we ought to lead. Today’s world is a place of fleeting pleasures and distractions. Finding the strength of will to reject false, transient, and excessive pleasures is one of the greatest tests of our time.

Returning to one’s inner being—to oneself—may be possible through discipline and willpower. Those who have little time to live fully and reflect on life should establish a deliberate practice of self-reflection, setting aside part of each day, every day, solely to know themselves and gain insight into their own nature. They should place this practice at the centre of their lives.

We are not separate from nature, nor is nature separate from us. For this reason, nature is always the guide that shows us where to go.”

Seneca: “Pursuing status and fame, losing today while thinking about tomorrow—in other words, failing to live in the present—shortens life. Instead, we should confront our faults and turn towards ourselves in pursuit of a virtuous life. A meaningful return to oneself becomes possible by withdrawing into solitude after devoting sufficient time to public duties, and dedicating this leisure to wisdom—that is, to philosophy.” (1)

H.B.D.: “There is only one thing we have: now, this very moment. There is no other reality. We can neither change the past nor shape the future. The only time within our grasp is the present moment.

Those who understand the value of this moment do more than simply live in the present: they also begin, today, to build their future.

Withdrawing into solitude, however, is particularly difficult for people today. In my view, achieving it requires good time management.”

Bibliography

Seneca. On the Happy Life; On the Shortness of Life. İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları. (1)

Translated from Turkish into English using ChatGPT.