On the Shortness of Life

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 49

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Themes

The Impermanence of Time

Seneca’s central theme focuses on the impermanence of time. This theme is established immediately in “On the Shortness of Life,” in response to what he sees as the common complaint that life is short; Seneca disagrees with the masses’ interpretation of time as short and instead offers the Stoic perspective that everyone’s time is sufficient if used well (1). Seneca returns to this argument repeatedly in his treatise, comparing the common Roman response to the idea of mortality to Stoic principles (3-4, 9-13) and using famous figures to show how the application of Stoic principles would have enabled them to lead happier and more fulfilled lives (6-8). In Seneca’s philosophy, it is taking time for self-reflection, philosophical thought, and contemplation that gives life its meaning and mitigates the sense of life as too brief.

Although Seneca posits that life can be long enough when used wisely in each moment, his argument does rely on an understanding of time as finite and fleeting. Indeed, by emphasizing its nature as a valuable and irreplaceable resource, Seneca suggests that time is the most important commodity in the Roman world and should be spent wisely. Seneca contrasts this with the behaviour of the Emperor himself, who set a poor example for his populace by “squandering” (2, 4, 5, 15) much of his time on exotic goods, games, banquets, and other luxuries while Seneca advised him and others in his writings that time is best spent on philosophy. Thus, the theme of time’s impermanence not only serves to remedy ailments that afflicted Roman society but also to advance the Stoic message that philosophy is the best use of one’s time. Seneca argues that philosophy is a freedom from the constraints of time because meditative thought and contemplation is experienced as an escape from the urgency of life (24-25).

A key way in which Seneca develops his theme of the impermanence of time is through the presentation of time as a commodity. As Walter has shown, “the fact that time is spendable implies the ownership of the self over life (the specific amount of time that we own). It is argued that only a developed self has the ability to control the flow of time. The consequence of this is that life is extended.” (Walter, Benjamin. “Time and the Self in Seneca’s De Brevitate Vitae.” TriCollege Libraries Institutional Scholarship. 2013). In this manner, Seneca presents reflection as a means to cheat time: it is taking time that creates the experience of it being lengthened. In presenting time as a commodity, Seneca also points out the conflict between a drive for success and financial wealth and the inner need for spiritual wealth and peace.

The Importance of the Present

As Seneca develops his ideas on time throughout his essay, the present emerges as a key aspect of time. Seneca divides time into the past, present and future: “The present is short, the future is doubtful, the past is certain” (15). Seneca emphasizes repeatedly to his readers that living in the present is paramount for the application of Stoic philosophy. Given that the Roman world put a strong focus on one’s legacy and posterity through great deeds in life—in many ways prioritising the future over the present—and looked back at the past to celebrate the deeds of earlier Romans, Seneca’s treatment of the present moment is a departure from contemporaneous attitudes. In a society that celebrated wealth and glory, Seneca points out that many Romans were preoccupied with future prospects (7, 11, 13) and therefore constantly postponed the pursuit of virtue and wisdom. Seneca argues that the philosopher exists outside the boundaries of time: “Some time has passed: he grasps it in his recollection. Time is present: he uses it. Time is to come: he anticipates it. This combination of times into one gives him a long life” (15). It is significant here that, through reflection, both the past and future are held in the present moment and given deeper meaning through that internal experience.

Seneca, drawing from Stoic philosophy, challenges this dismissal of the present by urging his readers to recognize its value. His argument does sympathize with the common plight that life is brief, but he stresses life is only brief when wasted on worldly preoccupations (9, 17). The present moment is far better spent on self-improvement through contemplation, which leads to moral growth and wisdom. When Seneca reminds his readers that putting things off is the biggest waste of life, it’s a poignant reminder to seize the day before them. Seneca also criticizes those who postpone the pursuit of wisdom to old age (5, 14-15). In a world where the continuation of life into old age is uncertain, he reminds his reader that the best time is now (24).

Within the Stoic tradition, the present moment is considered the nexus of agency and moral choice. In the present, Seneca argues that the self can cultivate its inner virtue and order through reflection. This inward focus lies in tension with the external focus that predominated in Seneca’s world. Seneca’s treatise is a critique of the predominant societal values in Rome and offers Stoic principles as a solution for the moral decay of an avaricious society.

Introspection and Leisure as the Means to Wisdom

Seneca posits to his readers that true leisure is the means by which one can cultivate wisdom, which ultimately results in a life that is not wasted and anything but short (17-18). Seneca carefully distinguishes leisure (“otium”) from the distractions of idleness and relaxation (17-22). Leisure, instead, is an intentional retreat inward from the distractions of the external world (23). Leisure represents a state of mind in which philosophical contemplation and the pursuit of wisdom are the sole foci. In Seneca’s philosophy, wisdom is not achieved through thoughts which occur at random but through an orderly process of examination and self-reflection. Seneca’s message on true leisure is a response to the Roman cultural norm of “busyness” in order to find success (2, 4-5, 8, 28): personal aggrandizement in the name of glory or duty (to the family or empire). Instead, he urges his readers to seek solace in solitude and considers the most valuable form of success to be achieved through withdrawal from the world.

Seneca takes the importance of leisure to its ultimate conclusion, saying that “of all people only those who are at leisure and make time for philosophy are really alive” (9). This demonstrates an interesting subversion of the idea that introspection is a withdrawal from life and its active pursuits: a contemplative man may appear less lively to others but is in fact living life to its fullest by Seneca’s standards. In making wisdom reliant on leisure, Seneca disassociates his ideal of wisdom from practical experience gained through an active life, a departure from the Roman focus on action as the correct expression of agency, power and masculinity.

In many ways, Seneca’s argument that leisure is necessary for the pursuit of wisdom draws on the Platonic idea that a leisured, philosophical class is required in order for society as a whole to gain knowledge and understanding. This is predicated on the idea that only the privileged—such as Seneca himself—would have the ability to gain such knowledge and that his philosophy is suitable for the elite only.