Lucius Seneca

On the Shortness of Life in English is a moral essay written by Seneca the Younger in 49 AD, a Roman Stoic philosopher, to his father-in-law Paulinus. The philosopher brings up many Stoic principles on the nature of time, namely that men waste much of it in meaningless pursuits. According to the essay, nature gives man enough time to do what is really important and the individual must allot it properly. In general, time can be best used in the study of philosophy, according to Seneca.The same title is also given to a different letter, number 49 in the Letters to Lucilius.

On the Shortness of Life

sina (she/her) 

Kyler Phillips

Life will follow the path it began to take, and will neither reverse nor check its course. It will cause no commotion to remind you of its swiftness, but glide on quietly. It will not lengthen itself for a king's command or a people's favour.

Life will be driven on through a succession of preoccupations: we shall always long for leisure, but never enjoy it. 

So we should buy enough books for use, and none just for embellishment.

Solitude will cure our distaste for a crowd, and a crowd will cure our boredom with solitude.

On the Shortness of Life quotes

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