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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
How can a book that has been written almost 2000 years ago make statements that can still be applied in our modern world? On the Shortness of Life is such a book. Seneca talks harshly about the people who complain that they don't have enough time, who follow meaningless goals or who make plans for later when they retire.
Everyone has enough time in his life, what matters is what you do with it. People don't let others handle their money (who would do this) but they allow others to control their time and to make decisions for them?! Think about it.
When a moment is gone you can't bring it back. If time is like a stream then you have to drink fast and deep. Living means to live now, not later. Nobody knows what the future will bring and all too often people, after reaching a high position or acquiring great wealth, aren't any happier than before.
At the end of the book a scary question entered my mind. How can it be that people and societies haven't changed in all the centuries and that the big questions are still the same, unanswered? Are we "doomed" to make the same experiences and mistakes or is it possible for the human society to evolve?
Or is this the way how the soul must learn: exploring the boundaries, fighting temptation, finding guiding principles and ultimately follow them on the way to ...?
If you want to take away one thing then it's this: the meaning of life lies not in what you will achieve in the future, it's how you live now. It's the road, not the destination.
Everyone has enough time in his life, what matters is what you do with it. People don't let others handle their money (who would do this) but they allow others to control their time and to make decisions for them?! Think about it.
When a moment is gone you can't bring it back. If time is like a stream then you have to drink fast and deep. Living means to live now, not later. Nobody knows what the future will bring and all too often people, after reaching a high position or acquiring great wealth, aren't any happier than before.
At the end of the book a scary question entered my mind. How can it be that people and societies haven't changed in all the centuries and that the big questions are still the same, unanswered? Are we "doomed" to make the same experiences and mistakes or is it possible for the human society to evolve?
Or is this the way how the soul must learn: exploring the boundaries, fighting temptation, finding guiding principles and ultimately follow them on the way to ...?
If you want to take away one thing then it's this: the meaning of life lies not in what you will achieve in the future, it's how you live now. It's the road, not the destination.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Although I don't have in-depth knowledge of this school of thought, this seems to be pretty standard stuff. Rating is not reflective of content but of utility.
Recommended to Seneca completionists and especially for self-help devourers - this is most probably better and definitely shorter than those books.
Recommended to Seneca completionists and especially for self-help devourers - this is most probably better and definitely shorter than those books.
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
I feel most of this went over my head. I chipped away at it for months, Can’t say I liked or disliked this, it didn’t really leave much of an impact on me. As a collection of letters it wasn’t mean to be read like this and that shows as in its long drawn out paragraphs
challenging
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced